Too Much Good (Expensive) Stuff!

Lately I am seeing SO MANY wonderful things that I absolutely have to have. My next paycheck can't come soon enough! I'll share with you guys all the things I'm loving this month.

UNIF Harness Dress
This dress has been out of stock forever and it's finally been restocked... in my size! Hopefully I get the chance to grab one before they're out again. Isn't it pretty? I'd love to pair this with some dangerously spiked platform heels...

Like these!
The Kempton Spike Heel by Privileged Shoes
Fly Jane is one of my absolute favorite (albeit on the splurgy side) online retailers. I never visit the site without seeing heels that I love. So, I have been looking at the Kempton boot for the past few months and have been in conflict with myself over whether to buy them. Do I need them? No. Are they limited edition? Yes. Can I afford them? No. Will I eat Top Ramen in lieu of real food for two weeks just so I can buy them anyway? Absolutely. Fly Jane announced that they were almost out of stock, and me and a thousand other girls had a panic attack and ordered them all. In the next 24 hours they were all gone! So these babies are in the mail for me right now! I'm really really happy that I ordered them, but I'm hoping that they fit. I had to go down half a size because my size was already sold out by the time I got home from work that night and tried ordering them! We shall see... fingers crossed!

Lip Service Shrug Jacket
I feel like this is the ultimate piece for when it's a little chilly, but you still want to showcase your killer dress. I get cold so easily and I hate having to put big bulky jackets on over my cute little dresses. So this jacket was basically made for me! It would look awesome with a Black Milk dress and some Jeffrey Campbell spiked damsels. Or just about anything!

Black Milk Clothing Halloween Collection
Every sharkie alive is counting down the days til the Halloween release "All Killer No Filler" on October 1st! So many different pieces - there's something for everyone. They've never had such a big release before. I'm so impressed with all the unique designer pieces in this release as well as the prints. I've got my eye on the Wednesday dress, Mechanical Mermaid leggings, Haunted House 2.0 leggings (so much better than last year's version!), and the Muscle and Bone 2.0 catsuit! It's not on the website yet, but I think their Pinterest board has just about everything from the collection on it now. Take a look!

Click to see the photos in all their full sized glory.

Let me know what you think of my top picks this month. And I'll be sure to post some pics as soon as I get my lovely Privileged shoes in the mail!

XXO
 Sugar

Little Update!

Oh my goodness. We just got through all the back to school insanity at work, and now it's weird to be able to go to work and sit back and breathe for a second. Although I know it won't last long... our mall had the annual holiday meeting this morning to gear up for the Christmas season. SO. FUN. I know it's going to be crazy; I've never been a manager during the holidays before so it's nerve-wracking to think about. But it is a few months off so I won't stress about it until I need to.

My summer has been pretty crazy with lots of work to keep me busy. I've been learning so much and growing with the company, climbing one ladder rung at a time. Now I'm in line to take my own store and be a manager! It's very exciting. I've been working retail for my entire work history and never felt very driven about it, but I am happy with the company I'm with and where I'm at, and how there's been so much opportunity for growth and essentially making my own paycheck. Plus I get to wear all my crazy outfits to work, and I can't say that for any other companies I've been with... e.g. Sears, where I could only wear black and white dress attire, or See's, which is a job I loved but I had to wear a uniform that closely resembled a flour sack. So all in all, work is going well. It consumes most of my life but I know it's worth the sacrifice in order to get where I want to be.

Plus all those hours of work feed my shopping addiction. I've been so obsessed with Black Milk Clothing ever since I got the unicorn leggings for my birthday. They are pretty pricey - on average $70 a pair - but so, so worth it. You will never wear other leggings after you've worn these! My co-worker likes Bench leggings which retail about $50, but I'm trying to convert her. ;)

Burned Velvet Leggings paired with my 1460 Dr. Martens

My collection so far:
Unicorn Black Leggings
Mermaid Leggings
Cheshire Cat Leggings
Matte Black Catsuit
Burned Velvet Leggings
Dollar Leggings
Mountain Pink Leggings
Aurora Skye Orange Leggings
Nairobi Leggings
Matte Black Skirt
Foxy Leggings
Smilies Hosiery

And the obsession continues... I've never tried their dresses, but rumour has it that a cat dress is in the works right now. If so, I'm already in line!

I actually adopted a cat in July. Her name is Minnie. She's a little shorthaired black cat that got picked up by the Kitsap Humane Society, and as soon as I met her she reminded me so much of my old cat that I knew she'd be a perfect pet. I haven't had a pet since my kitty Punk went missing over a year ago. Sounds silly, but there's been a big hole in my heart since then. She was just a very interactive and friendly cat, and I'd never made much of a connection with an animal like that before. She was an outdoor cat though, and one day she went outside and never came back. I traipsed into the woods looking everywhere for her and went to the humane society every day, but she was never found. My heart was broken over her for a long time. I was reluctant about adopting another pet because I felt like it wouldn't be the same... I visit the humane society frequently, and as much as I love cats in general I never found one that I clicked with until I met Minnie. She had kitty bronchitis, worms, fleas and was very skinny but I loved her and knew I could give her a home, and she could help my heart heal a little bit. And she did. After lots of medicine, food, flea treatment and love, she is perfectly happy and healthy and starting to gain a bit of weight. And she is an indoor cat!

I haven't been shooting all that much lately, partly for a lack of interest and mostly for a lack of time. I did three shoots in July and haven't gotten sets back from any of the photographers, which kind of sucks because I took the time to do makeup, purchase wardrobe, and travel there and didn't get any photos out of it. Hopefully I see some of them soon. Two of them were paid shoots but one was TF and I bought a dress for it and had to go to Seattle so that was a lot of gas and ferry money as well. It's a hard-knock life being a wannabe model! Haha. I did have a shoot yesterday though. I am modeling the Black Milk Clothing matte black catsuit and heels by Shi. I'm not going to pretend to be one of those girls who acts like they know all about cars; all I can say is it's a Ford and it looks to be 1930s - 1940s? But I could be very wrong about that! I actually enjoyed the set... It was a giant garage full of authentic vintage mementos all the way back to 1930s. All sorts of cool stuff in there. Here are a few photos. All copyrights belong to Mike Bay.

And here is a better photo of the purple lipstick I was wearing! It's shade number 15 by Make Up For Ever - one of my favorites. I never thought purple could be a wearable lip colour for daytime, but this is truly the perfect pearly violet shade. Get it here! I am also wearing a hint of Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes eyeliner in Forest Green along my lower lash line. I like it because it makes my eyes greener and it stays on all day.

I hope you guys liked this blog post! Leave me comments if you have any feedback for me!
XOXO,
Sugar

Slowing down (for just a second)

It's been about a month now since I've been promoted, and it's a big reason why my online presence has been dwindling. It's awesome and terrifying and stressful all at the same time. Awesome because I'm making a ton more money, and now I'm well on my way towards having a career rather than just a job. Terrifying because I've never had a position in management before and I always feel like I'm going to screw something up horribly. A lot of responsibility falls on my shoulders now. Stressful because I work six days a week, averaging 50 hours a week. Already I've learned so much. Some things, I wish I didn't have to learn. I've realized just how superficial retail can be, and it drains me some days. Work has been taking up a majority of my waking hours. But once I take a moment and stop thinking about it, and start modeling or making something, it re-energizes and breathes new life into me. So I definitely need to make time for myself where I can forget about work and just create.

I shot with Jim Nicholson again yesterday. I had been putting off shooting for a while, trying to spend my spare time with my husband and my family. But I had finally gotten two days off in a row so I went for it! And it actually took my mind off of everything. I've got one shot I'll share, and I'll post more photos once he processes them and forwards them to me... I think it was one of my better shoots.

You may have noticed a new addition to my look - I now have a labret piercing. It's a look that I've loved for a long time, and on a whim I had it done one day last week before I went to work. I've never even had my ears done, so as my first piercing it was a pretty horrifying experience for me! But I had it done at Deep Roots Tattoo, and the piercer, Colleen, was wonderful. She was very quick, had lots of advice, and put me at ease instantly. I plan on going to her for any other piercings I may want done in the future, and I recommend her to anyone looking for a piercer in Kitsap County. It seems to be healing very well. I've only had it for a week but I was able to shoot with it and it didn't look red at all. It's such a new experience for me but so far I love it!

That was one of my splurges in the past two weeks - I also got the Black Milk Clothing mermaid leggings and the cheshire cat leggings. I LOVE THEM. My co-workers think I'm crazy for spending $80 on a pair of leggings but I'm too distracted by the shiny-ness on my legs that I don't care what anyone says! I'm so excited for payday... because this is next on my list!

Anyways... just wanted to catch up a bit with you guys and let you know where life's been taking me. Still don't know where exactly I'm headed but feel free to join me on my adventures and let me know what you think.

xoxo,
Sugar

Summer

We've had an abnormally warm springtime season for my area, so it's got me SUPER stoked for summer! I'm already shopping for shorts, sandals, and tank tops... that usually doesn't happen around here til June. But hey, any excuse to shop is a good excuse to me! I've never been much of a fan of Vans or of snapback hats, but two finds last week changed my mind. First I spotted (hehe, get it) this leopard print trucker at Pacsun. It was so girly I had to have it. And it has actually served a good purpose - it keeps my poor little pale face safe from getting sunburned! I wore it to the beach last week and I kind of fell in love with it.

Secondly, these pretty mint green Vans were too pretty to pass up. These are my very first Vans! My seconds ones will be the leopard print to match my new hat.

Anyway, speaking of shoes... I got promoted on Saturday to the assistant manager of my store. Although that means a huge time sacrifice, I am so excited for the opportunity to move up while working in a fashion-based job that I love! Not everybody dreams of a career in retail but I love it and I'm excited to see how I grow in the company I work for. As a little added perk, I'll be making more money too... so I'll be doing a lot of shopping in my free time. :P And of course blogging. I really want to get back into DIY projects when I get the chance too... I was given a sewing machine and I wanna see what I can crank out. In my opinion, the best looks are the ones you come up with yourself! And there's a certain pride in being able to say "I made this" instead of "oh, I got it at..." So expect to see some crafty creations coming up in the near future as well!

NOM NOM NOM

Nomfest 3 is upon us! For anyone who is not familiar with the Australian fashion label known as Black Milk Clothing, I would highly recommend for you to head on over to their site and take a gander at their goods. Nomfest is when they release awesome new stuff. Sadly, a lot of times these items are limited because they can only obtain a limited amount of the fabric... so they sell out fast!

I grabbed a couple of things tonight as soon as I got home from work - sadly I was too late to get my hands on the black merman leggings I was hoping to snag, as they were already sold out! So if you're interested in checking out the new stuff go now before it's gone! Not telling what I got until it arrives, but I will say this: my next paycheck is going towards the capsules leggings if there are any left!

I can tell you right now that these aren't just any expensive leggings you'll find elsewhere online like on Nasty Gal or Modcloth. Black Milk is quality clothing made in a small warehouse in Australia, fronted by founder James Lillis. They don't have their labor done in China for cheap, and they use high quality nylon blends for their products. I was so impressed with my first pair of Black Milk leggings. I had heard that they were worth every penny for how expensive they are, but once I actually saw them in person and felt them myself, I knew it was true. They far surpassed what I had expected. Anyone with a legging addiction NEEDS at least one pair of Black Milk leggings in their life! I'm in love with them and I will be counting down the days for my order to arrive. And for anyone who wants to invest in some Black Milk of their own, they're offering free standard international shipping in May (and free express shipping if you live in Australia). So go take advantage of it!

You're welcome.

xoxo,
Sugar

Absence . . .

It's been over a month since my last blog post, and I've sorely missed writing! I do apologize to anyone who follows my posts, but it is a bit hard to get the chance to write now that I no longer have a computer of my own. My husband and I recently moved (again!!!) and money's been tight, so a computer is a bit further down on our list of priorities. But! I just got promoted so hopefully the money issue won't last too much longer.

As most of you know, I work at a shoe store. Since my work at See's Candies has ended, I work full-time at this shoe store. I got promoted as well and also get commissioned pay, so that is a nice perk. I love just having one full time job rather than multiple part-times... makes life a lot less complicated!

Since I've had to be a bit more watchful of the money I'm spending (and since I have a raging clothing/shoe obsession) I've been shopping the clearance racks at my favorite places that I usually shop. I've discovered that I'm broke at the perfect time of year, because all the winter stuff and leftover stock from last year has been marked down ridiculously low. I found these cute Charlotte Ronson silk floral pants for five dollars, Betsey Johnson heels for ten bucks, and the glitzy gold Buffalo Jeans skirt below for only four bucks! And it was originally $45.

I've also come across a few makeup steals as well - a lot of Kat Von D cosmetics are now on clearance at Sephora, and some Charlotte Ronson stuff as well. I've never tried Charlotte Ronson cosmetics before, but on a whim I picked up a liquid eyeshadow (something I've never tried either! Two birds, one stone) in a metallic pink colour called Sky. It's so pretty and easier to blend than I expected. I also tried a Kat Von D "Painted Love" lipstick in Lolita, a matte dusty rose. It was only eight bucks on clearance, so I had to try it! I always use Kat's Tattoo Liner as my liquid eyeliner, and now her lipsticks are a new favorite as well.

My favorite wardrobe acquirement this month though was Black Milk Clothing's unicorn leggings! I am wearing them as I speak. Super comfy and cute for chill Saturdays like today. I got them as a birthday gift and I love them to death. My next BM purchase is gonna have to be the mermaid legs for sure. (I'm a mermaid at heart!)

I'll make it a point to try to write more often. I miss it!

Also, I've taken a hiatus from modeling for a bit... not sure how long. My heart just isn't in it right now. But I'm sure inspiration will strike again. Meanwhile, feel free to comment if you guys have any ideas or themes and concepts you think would be cool!

By the way, here are a couple of the photos that were taken at the beach shoot I was talking about in my last post. Styled by me, photographed by Mike Bay, and the entire outfit can be found at Forever 21!

Changes

Well, some sad news for me... I recently found out that I will be losing my job at the end of the month, as the candy store I work at will be closing. Needless to say, I am a little sad about this. Not only is it my main source of income, but I enjoyed working there for the year I got to be a part of the company and learn about the candy industry. However, since the other job I have is part time, that means I will have the chance to do a lot more modeling until I find a full-time position.

I recently did a photo shoot with a Seattle photographer, Eric Paguio of typenamehere.com. It was my first time shooting with him, and I had an idea to do an editorial type theme with flower garlands and neutral coloured outfits. We also played with lighting afterward, and these photos were the result. I had a lot of fun meeting him, his photographer friend Molly, and his studio kitty cat Peanut!

I have a shoot later today that will be a fashion editorial at a rocky beach. Should be fun, and super cold... it's very windy, drizzly, and overcast today. Welcome to Washington State!

Bremerton Shoot

Recently did a photo shoot with one of my oldest friends I've had since I started modeling, Mike Bay of photif.com. Posted a photo on lookbook.nu... again. :P I just got these platform Converse, plus a fun skirt that I'm sure my tenth-grade self would have loved. So I put them together with my trusty leather jacket to create a fun urban look, perfect for shooting downtown.

Mike recently had one of his pieces featured in Bremerton's Creative Visions Gallery. It was an awesome art  show that featured pieces from some select talented artists from all over the Pacific Northwest. I definitely left feeling inspired and proud of where I am from!

Hope you like the outfit and photos.

"Urban Legend" photographed by Mike Bay; styled by Sugar Price.

Jacket by Lipstick, skirt by Daang Goodman Tripp, top by Romy, accessories by Forever 21, shoes by Converse.