50 Dollar Fashion and Style

   I’ve decided to start going to shops, mostly local shops in my area to find outfits the are stylish and fashionable for fifty dollars and under. My husband actually came up with this idea which I thought was so cute and even though many others have done similar things, I plan on putting my vintage and rock spin onto it. 

   I haven’t decided yet it I’m going to do this every week or every two weeks but I think this will be fun. My goal is to find full or mostly full outfits for under fifty dollars to show as inspiration to everyone who feels that they have to spend loads of money to be able to showcase their fashion and unique style. Every thing I show off here is something that is my style and/or that I would wear.

   I was going to one of my favorite local vintage shops but they were closed for the day. Instead I started with Target. I know Target isn’t a unique store but I thought it would be cool to include Target in my list of fifty dollar fashion since Target is an extremely popular chain that everyone has access to in their area.

The first thing that my eyes immediately went to was a pair of these cheetah print jeans. Animal print and me? Duh! Haha They cost $28.00.

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   The next thing I spotted was a super cute black and red (my favorite color combo) Game of Thrones “Where are My Dragons” top for $14.00. I love that show and the “Mother of Dragons” is probably my favorite character. The next item I spotted was in the jewelry section which was near where I found both the pants and top. The next item I looked for was a cute pair of shoes to complete this look. To be perfectly honest, I really didn’t see anything that I would wear or that would go with this outfit but they did have a lot of styles that you might like to try in your Target locations so please don’t be discouraged that I didn’t find anything in the store location I went to. A lot of them were on sale as well. Instead I went to the jewelry section which was near where I found the pants and top. There I found this punk rock red “Rocky Horror” style lips necklace. It only was $6.00 so I had to get it.

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After the items I found, my total plus tax was literally $50.00 so it was perfect.

I hope you all liked what I chose and also the start of something new that I’m going to be doing for Bombshell.

 

Glamorous and Rock and Roll Book Recommendations

I love going to book shops. I don’t like kindle very much. Especially for certain books of mine, I like to dog ear chapters or pages that I know will help me a lot. Anyways, I went through my book collection and I wanted to share some recommendations if you who want to get into burlesque, want to read on how to create vintage, besides, pinup looks, for beginners or even if you’re not a beginner, all these books have great writing, great tips and ideas, detailed instructions on how to create the different hair and makeup looks, get some Rock and Roll tips and stories, and more.

I have already reviewed Dita Von Teese’s,” Your Beauty Mark” in a huge article review on her book as well as a huge review on the book “Audrey Style” by Pamela Clarke Keogh. Please make sure to read the reviews I did on those two books and leave your likes and comments on it and follow my site if you haven’t already. 

Thank you and here are some of my top favorite books that I recommend for you. Hope you enjoy them and even if you only check out one of the books and read it, you’ll love it and will help you on your vintage, pinup, and glamour journey.

1. “It’s All That Glitters, Portraits of Burlesque Performers in Their Homes.” You’ll love this book, it’s the most stunning and glam households book I own.

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2. “The Burlesque Handbook” by Headmistress Jo Weldon. If you want to get into the gorgeous performing sisterhood, this is the book for you. It is the perfect book for beginners and it Jo teaches all her signature tricks and has some great anecdotes. This was the first book I bought when I want to start the art of Burlesque. Even if you have been performing burlesque, you might want to still check out this book for extra stunts, tips, tricks, and more from the stunning HeadMistress Jo Weldon.

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3. “Vintage Beauty Parlor” This is a great book to help you achieve flawless hair and make up in iconic and vintage styles.

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4. “Style Me Vintage” (Step by Step Retro Look Book) This is one of the best books for beginners in vintage and pinup.

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5. For the Rock and Roll chicks who want some extra wicked tips if they want to be in the music scene, dress like they are, and a lot more, check out “Cherry Bomb.” It’s an awesome book.

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HOPE YOU CHECK OUT THESE BOOKS AND ENJOY THEM. TAKE THE STORIES AND TIPS THAT YOU LIKE AND THAT ARE USEFUL, DISREGARD THE INFORMATION THAT DOESN’T NECESSARILY PERTAIN TO YOU, AND ENJOY THESE FABULOUS READS!!!!

 XOXO CARLIE MICHELLE

Music by Aurelio Voltaire

You might remember my post on my favorite spooky, gothic, Halloween loving channels, 

My Favorite Halloween/Gothic/Spooky Channels and Spooky Shows

where I talked about the youtube channel, “The Lair of Voltaire.” I didn’t mention that he is a long term musician with a new album coming out. I just listened to some of his music and I really like it. He has a huge extensive musical and performance background. It sounds like a mix of the 80’s original goth movement mixed with modern rock. I love what I’ve heard and you should definitely check out his vid for his new album where you can pre-order it.

Sweet Dreams From the Gutter

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I first hear musician Dirk Vermin’s original band, “The Vermin,” years ago and I instantly liked them. I’m a huge lover of punk, and when I say punk, I mean true punk, not pop boy bands pretending they’re punk. If I had to choose another band that reminds me of “The Vermin” I would say Social Distortion who I absolutely love.

After hearing and learning about Dirk Vermin and his band, I saw him on a show that shall not be named. Dirk is extremely talented and I’m so glad I got my Bettie Page tattooed by him last year. Him and his new band, “Dirk Vermin and the Hostile Talent,” are extremely talented and pure punk and rock and roll. The album, “Sweet Dreams From the Gutter,” is a bad ass record and the title song is probably my favorite one although they are all good. I definitely recommend checking them out.

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10 Looks For Summer: Outfit Eight: “Vintage Rock and Roll Music Tops”

Ok you all know that I LOVE MUSIC, especially Rock and Roll and collect concert tees, vintage concert tees from my favorite bands, and even new modern music tees that you can just buy in regular stores. If you’ve been following my site here for a while, you might remember a DIY post I wrote a few years ago titled, “Getting Creative with Concert T-Shirts,” where I show you had to transform your concert tees into different rent looks by cutting them, tying them, taking extra large shirts and turning them into dresses, and more. Here’s the link below in case you haven’t seen it.  

     https://bombshell2016.blog/2016/01/07/getting-creative-with-concert-t-shirts/

In this summer inspired look, I took one of my music shirts and instead of pairing it with a pair of jeans or shorts, I dressed it up a bit to show that you can dress up and casual top, especially if it’s a rock and roll/music top. Here I show my favorite Beatles top and paired it with a classic blazer since the weather is starting to finally get a little cooler, slowly but I’ll take it. I paired my cool “The Beatles” top, which is my all time favorite band by the way, with my silver silk pants. I love these pants because you can wear them long or pull them up a little bit so they have a more Capri silhouette In these photos I pulled them up to show of my gold spiked ankle boots with my seven inch gold heels. I love these and who says you can’t pair gold and silver together? I topped my look with my black sequined scarf around my neck that my husband bought me on our very first vacation we took together to New York after dating a year.

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Hope you enjoy my eighth summer inspired look. Only two more to go. Thank you everyone and have a great day.

 

How to Make Your House Your Home

   I’ve been wanting to do this article for awhile now. I’m not talking about how your house will never be a home unless you have specific items. This article is about not listening to other people who are blatantly telling you what your home should look like, otherwise it wouldn’t be your home, it would be their’s.

To create an environment that you are comfortable and in love with here are a few tips and ideas. First, think about what your personality and interests are. Are you big into sports? Are you a music lover? Do you like Modern art, etc.? 

Also don’t feel that your house has to have one style such as contemporary, modern, etc. I love mixing different styles. I love being creative.

Using my house as an example, my style is not just one thing. I have mostly vintage pieces mixed with rock and roll, movie posters that have great significance to me, a sugar skulls, and a lot of magical pieces and hanging art that both my husband and I did. My house is very eclectic. Even though I have more than one theme to my home style, I’ve made it so it all coincides together.

You don’t necessarily need to have a lot of money when furnishing and decorating your house. If you can afford custom furniture, that’s great but if you can’t, you can still have really cool furniture pieces by DIY.

   For example, you can take a table, like a small TV tray table or a cheap nightstand from good will and decorate it with images that you love from magazines or clippings and then seal them with strong adhesive. I’ve done that in the past and have had great results with it. You can also paint and repurpose furniture. Goodwill, flea markets, Target, and consignment shops are great places to check out and search for hidden treasures if you’re on a budget. If you need help on doing DIY furniture, there are many youtube tutorials that can help you out. This image below is from a DIY youtube channel. You just need to explore different channels.

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Another tip is that if you have your home a particular style but find a piece of art, a special object, or something that doesn’t go with your decorative style, but you can’t live without it, definitely buy it. If you really love it, you’ll be able to incorporate into your decorations at your home.

Below are a few items from my home in different genres just to give you an idea how more than one  style can work in your home. 

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Hope these ideas, tips, and tricks help you create your own livable and lovable space.

Outfit of the Day

I love showing off my outfits and yesterday I wore this to a doctor’s appointment. I donned my rocking dark blue jeans cuffed, a black and white frill and puffy sleeve blouse, my famous six inch heels, red hoops, and a new hair flower that I had just received. The flower is my favorite part of this look, especially with a victory roll pony tail hair do.

The flower is a beautiful white lily with yellow and green stems, black leaves, and the best part, black spiders. Even with the spiders, because of the colors and design of the lily, the flower clip doesn’t look super gothic or spooky which is nice because it can be versatile with a variety of outfits and looks.

Hope you enjoy these couple pictures of my outfit of the day and I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

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New Fashion Favorites

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year. This is my first post of 2018 and I wanted to show some new fashion items I bought for myself this past season. I think it’s important to treat yourself. You of course need to prioritize and make sure the important things in your life are taken care of and paid off first such as bills, rent, mortgage, car payments, etc. You can find similar things to these below items at most clothing stores or online. You just need to keep your eyes open which makes shopping more fun.

Hermes Scarf- Hermes is an extraordinary designer brand. If you don’t know anything about them, definitely look them up. What I can tell you quickly though is that Hermes is French and is one of the most expensive brands ever and screams luxury and classic.  They are famous for their hand stitched handbags such as  the popular, “Birkin”
and “Kelly,” which I will hopefully getting a red one soon”

   One of my favorite things from them are their scarves, which I eventually want to have a collection of, and was excited to buy a new one. They came in a variety of colors and patterns as well as sizes. They change the look of any outfit and you automatically feel luxurious when you wear one. I love how this reptile inspired pattern bright this scarf is with vibrant orange and red with a touch of blue. The pattern reminds me of a snake. Even if you wear it with an outfit in all black, it will pop and make a statement. One of the coolest things is when you buy an Hermes scarf is that they give you a set of mini cards with illustrations and pictures of creative ways to wear your scarf Like I said before, Hermes is in no ways cheap but will always be in style and the quality of their items will last forever.

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Leather shorts and Thigh High Boots- These two things are one of my favorite things I bought this past season. I’m obsessed. I had been wanting to buy thigh high boots for awhile, especially since my other black boots got completely worn out and was so excited I found this pair at Macy’s which was a surprise. They have a thick heel and are very comfortable and easy to walk in, even if you don’t wear  high heels a lot. I definitely recommend checking some cool boots out for yourself. I found these shorts online actually and they are so comfortable and can be worn during any season. I love pairing opaque stockings under my shorts and it keeps me nice and warm. Wearing my thigh high boots with my leather shorts is the perfect combination.

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New handbags- I have two new handbags to share which are the complete opposite of each other. One is a beautiful vintage embroidery handbag with floral detailing. It has dividing pockets inside it which is great at keeping your purse stuff organized. I saw a variety of color combinations in this purse but the gold and gray one was my favorite. The other one is a metal alloy abstract stone cut clutch. I was instantly drawn to this. It looks very high fashion and is made to look like an abstract cut gem. It reminds me of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” video. The best thing about this clutch is that it is small for a night out but big enough to fit my iPhone in which is something that I struggle with when small evening bags. It comes with a chain strap also so you can wear it different ways.

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Thank you for letting me share all of these with you. What are some of your favorite fashion items?

Rock and Roll Fashion Essentials and Ideas

 Awhile ago, I did a post on Pinup and Rockabilly Fashion Essentials so I thought it would be fun to do a punk rock and roll version. I also love Rock and Roll, and music in general and I don’t know that I would do without it. 

   I’m all about creating your own style and look and not feeling like you need to look like anyone else or copy cat someone else’s look to feel like you belong or that you have to look a certain way. As long as you feel comfortable about yourself and what you show off and wear, that’s all that matters.

   These are just ideas and suggestions if you are trying to develop and/or expand your own rocker style. These ideas are just to inspire you to create your own rocker look. All of the items I mention are pretty easy to find and can be found in many stores as well as online.  I also wanted to mention that these “essentials,” are what I would personally start off with in creating a rocker look. You may have other things that you would consider an “essential” that differs from mine, which is absolutely great. The main purpose of this post is to get your creative juices flowing to build your own style.

   Again these are just ideas and suggestions to be used as a general guide line to inspire your own creative juices. Take whatever you like, leave the ones you don’t like, and rock your bad ass self! 

xoxo Carlie 

1. Leather Jacket- This seems like a pretty obvious rock and roll item. Depending on the brand, leather jackets can be really affordable to more designer labels that can be overly expensive. There are also a huge amount of styles. It really depends on how much you want to spend and the type of jacket cut you are looking for.

**For people who are vegan and/or against wearing leather, you still have options. Now a days, it’s very common for brands to make vegan, non-leather jackets and other clothing items. They’re very easy to find and I think it’s great that most places sell fake leather so people can enjoy wearing the “Look of Leather,” without having to wear the actual thing.

I also consider a leather jacket an essential item because not only do they give any look a rock and roll edge, from a pair of jeans and a t-shirt to fancy party dress, but leather jackets pretty much forever. I’ve had my coat for a long time and I still love wearing it. It definitely has a little wear and tear on the sleeves but very little, and for me, it looks more punk rock. 

2.  Studs and Spikes- Anything with spikes or studs  are perfect for adding some extra flair. Whether it’s a pair of shoes, a belt, a handbag, metal adornments keep you looking edgy. The same as with leather jackets, accessories or clothing, prices can vary. Again it depends on how much money you want to spend. Pieces with real metal spikes tend to be a little more pricey than dupe spike and stud items. For example, I remember buying my spiked boots (the pair in my photo below) years ago and I remember that right after I purchased them, I saw a pair of copy cat boots at Target with spikes that looked real but when you looked closely at them, you could see that they were just plastic made to look the real deal which is why they were half the price of mine. I also feel that sometimes accessories with real seem to last a lot longer than cheaper items.  With that said, I do have a piece or two with plastic decor that actually look cool and were made well. My black and gold spike and skull bra that I wear for dance aren’t real metal but looks and feels good.

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3. Fishnets Galore- If you know me at all, you know I have a nice collection of lingerie and stockings. I can’t even tell you how many pair of fishnet stockings I have.  They all have a different look to them though so I always have plenty of variety. Also fishnet gloves and clothing I definitely consider a rocker staple. Whether it’s a brand new pair with no tears, or an older pair of that have rips up and down the sides, fishnets will always be in style to me. You can find fishnet accessories almost anywhere, department stores, online, halloween and costume shops, etc.

4. Rock and Roll T-shirts-  This is absolutely one of the “TOP STAPLES,” for creating your own rocker look. I love my collection of rock and roll shirts. Some of them I had gotten rid of a long time ago and I still wish I hadn’t.  If you haven’t already, make sure to check out an older blog post I did last year titled, “GETTING CREATIVE WTH CONCERT T-SHIRTS,” which was all about wearing rock shirts in different and unique ways. Definitely go check out that blog post if you want any new ideas on how to wear your favorite musical tops.

5. Hair and Makeup- This is where you can get really creative! There is so much you can do with your hair and makeup to make you stand out from the rest of the crowd. 

For hair, they’re so many things you can do with it to make it look rocker chic. These of course are just a few out for MANY ideas for inspiration.  First, non-traditional hair color is always fun. Different and non-conventual colors, are actually more popular now than years ago where drugstores carry  alternative hair color in blue, pink, purple and a lot more. If you don’t want to  permanently commit , you can get semi-permanent hair dye. The first time I dyed my hair in high school, I used a semi-permanent color  from the famous brand, “Tish & Snooky’s MANIC PANIC,” in VAMPIRE RED, which turned out absolutely fantastic. Manic Panic is a great brand and I’m so glad it’s still around after all these years. Definitely check them out.

If you don’t want to play with hair dye, different color extensions is a great option, as well as wigs, dread falls, etc. As I”m writing this , I’m rocking my dreads today.

For Makeup, again there are no limits to the looks you can create. Glitter, dark smoky eyes, dark and/or  more “alternative ” lipsticks are always a good starting off point. You can find tons of rocker makeup images on Pinterest,  youtube, and more for ideas and tutorials. I’ll probably do a fun rock tutorial soon.

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Oh if you need any help or more inspiration on hair and makeup, I definitely would go on youtube to watch vids specifically on Rock and Roll looks.