HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

Here's my Halloween 'costume!' Can you guess who I am?....no one?  WILLY WONKA! Willy Wonka is one of my all time favorite movies and over the Summer I realized I had all the pieces to create a girl version.  I always call this purple blazer my Willy Wonka jacket and this ASOS dress from a few years ago has a print just like on his shirt.  Meant to be, right?!  All I had to do was buy some ribbon so my mom could make me a big bow.  I decided to forgo the cane, but I did pick up a hat on eBay.

I'm not actually going anywhere but I thought it was fun and I'm wearing the outfit to work today. Minus the hat and bow, though I will bring them in my tote bag in case I feel like putting them on.

Dress: ASOS, Jacket: Gap (Coco's), Bow: Made by Mom, Hat: eBay, Booties: no.704b. (DSW)

And here's the inspiration:

Last year I did a series of outfits inspired by Halloween films, today I'm re-sharing a bunch because I enjoyed them so much. The dress featured in the last post is still available at The Outnet (when I first did the post it was at Net-a-Porter!)

Original Post: {outfits inspired by films} Christina Ricci as Kat

Original Post: {outfits inspired by films} Vinessa Shaw as Allison in Hocus Pocus

Original Post: {outfits inspired by films} Robyn Lively as Louise in Teen Witch

Original Post: Dream Outfit: Inspired by Fran from The Ugly Dachshund

Let's talk Halloween movies, here are my favorites!  I've been watching them since the end of September, gotta get in all my viewing before Halloween is over. Well, the Halloween focused ones, some of these aren't exactly Halloween themed, but they bring the spirit. I will probably have watched each of these at least three times this month and countless times in my movie watching history.   What movies are on your list?

1. Casper: Do I need to explain? Casper shows that kids movies back in the day are way better than junk they make now.

2. Hocus Pocus: I could watch this all day every day.  Perfection. (although I could watch most of these movies a million times and never get bored, but that shouldn't take away from it's awesomeness!)

3. Beetlejuice: Ghosts, a goth Winona Ryder, what else do you need?

4. Teen Witch: An 80s classic (starring Blake Lively's older step sister), I wanted to be Louise when i was younger and would get so excited whenever this came on TV. Luckily I own it now so I don't have to worry about that.

5. Halloweentown Series (except the third...I don't like that one): They are based on Halloween and a girl who finds out she's a witch, so obviously you need to watch them.

6. Harry Potter Series: no explanation needed.

7. Clue: This is a hilarious movie based on the board game.  Trust me, you'll thank me later.

8. The Black Cauldron: One of the scariest Disney movies I've seen.  The Horned King would give anyone nightmares! I love old Disney, especially the ones hardly no one knows about, like this gem.

9. The Last Unicorn: This was one of my favorite movies when I was little and remains so today.  There are so many amusing things I never noticed when I was younger; you'll see what I mean when you watch.

10. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: It's about candy, so obviously you have to watch it on Halloween! Not the creepy Johnny Depp version though....

Bonus: Have a Merlin marathon! Love this show so much. If you're a fan of the King Arthur legend you'll love this show, it just finished a 5 series run and shows Merlin and Arthur as young boys.

UPDATE: Lydia pointed out that I forgot Practical Magic...oops! Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as witches, with some scariness thrown in. This movie is about as scary as I go (there's one scene that totally freaks me out still)

I'm not really a huge Halloween person. Apart from the candy and the Halloween movies (non-scary ones) I don't partake in much. I haven't dressed up since college (where I was Hermione every year), but this year I'm going to dress up for work, although no one will really know I'm in costume.  You'll see it when I post it on Thursday! But I decided to have Halloween Week on the blog and post all things Halloween!

First up is some costume inspiration by way of The Cherry Blossom Girl and Miss Pandora. I loved their Disney villains shoot, it's so fun and definitely gets you in the Halloween spirit!

It's getting a lot chillier out there! In the mornings I almost need a coat, but by the time I leave work it is a reasonable temperature.  We moved offices this week where I work, which was an adventure. I love the new space, it's a lot larger and we're grouped into smaller rooms (which I like because I'm shy and it's actually helping me talk and get involved a little more.)  However, I don't like the new commute, it's only 5 minutes longer but it seems so much longer because I have to go across more avenues, which are longer.  Oh well, what can you do?

Monday: Tee: Cullen (Rue La La), Skirt: T by Alexander Wang (NET-A-PORTER), Jacket: Theyskens' Theory (Nordstrom Rack), Boots: Eighteen68 'Megan' (Gilt), Watch: Skagen (Rue La La), Rings: vintage & Mom's

Tuesday: Top: Vanessa Bruno (Coco's $10 sale), Cape: cashmere (Roundabout Resale), Jeans: Free People, Boots Alexander Wang (The Outnet), Watch: Skagen (Rue La La), Rings: vintage & Mom's

Wednesday: Sweater: t. babaton c/o Aritzia, Jeans: American Vintage, Necklace c/o O Necklace, Rain Boots: dav (giveaway win), Watch: Skagen (Rue La La), Rings: vintage & Mom's

Thursday: Cream Sweater: Zara, Black Sweater: Burberry Brit (NET-A-PORTER sale), Jeans: Genetic Denim c/o Piperlime, Boots: Eighteen68 'Megan' (Gilt), Watch: Skagen (Rue La La), Rings: vintage & Mom's

This is what my Thursday outfit looked originally, but then I decided to wear my Burberry sweater instead of a coat, so I had to change my boots too, ha ha.

This look is from last Monday. I had the day off so my sister and I decided to go out to lunch and do a bit of shopping. In my rush I forgot to put on my watch and jewelry so my hands felt a little naked, it's funny how you get used to feeling rings on your fingers. This is my Fall formula - throw on jeans and a sweater and go!

Song of the Day: It's the Same Old Song by The Four Tops

Sweater: Madewell (Shopbop), Jeans: Current/Elliott (with gift card), Flats c/o Joie (also here), Bag: Fossil

Here is what I wore on my birthday a week and a half ago.  I went with a super comfortable look and wore my new Zara sweater that I scored for $20. You may also notice I've become a bit obsessed with my new boots.  As you can see in the last photo, my birthday was purple themed. Even a bunch of my presents were purple. I'm not one to make a big deal of my birthday so we just had a family dinner and hung out.

Sweater: Zara, Jeans: rag & bone (Shopbop), Boots: Eighteen68 'Megan' (Gilt),  Bag: Chanel (Madison Avenue Couture), Necklace: Francesca's, Watch: Skagen (Rue La La), Rings: vintage & Mom's

Last week designer Allison Beal of StyleSaint invited me to chat and view some pieces from her new line.  I even got to try on a few pieces, 2 of which I will (hopefully) be purchasing soon.  Some key notes to know about the brand:

• Though not all the materials are from the US, each piece is made ethically in Los Angeles. 
• They are made in the same factory as Rag + Bone, The Row and more!
• Many of the pieces are handmade to allow for a more intricate piece.
  For Example: the camisoles have a super thin strap that cannot be done by a machine. (they also look amazing, super soft and flattering)
• By bypassing the middleman, StyleSaint offers you the same quality pieces for far less than other designers.
  For Example: A camisole that they sell for $42 could cost upwards of $190
• Allison also writes a Magazine for the company that you can subscribe to here. 

My favorite pieces were the Silk Mosaic Scallop Skirt and Sophie Shell. I was able to try them on and the quality is superb. They are both made from silk chiffon and the print was inspired by "Tear Sheets" that are created by the StyleSaint Society, which you can join!  All the pieces created by Allison are inspired by the Society so you are helping to create the pieces you buy.
For the new season StyleSaint is offering a myriad of gorgeous lace pieces including a thicker lace for Fall which is created by embroidering on lace. One of the pieces I was able to see was the Saint Celine lace dress which features a deep v in the back as well as a form-fitting, bustier-style slip to go underneath.  The slip is amazing quality and a perfect fit for under the dress.
Allison even told me a great story about how quickly she can change things because she isn't working seasons ahead like most designers.  The first item they released was the Saint Augustine dress in black and a few customers reached out to let her know they felt the straps and hem were a bit too long on the dress. She was able to stop production right away and within 48 hours was producing the dress with a shorter hem and strap length. That would not be possible if her items were made in bulk months before being sold.