OOTD: Target Dot Dress

dress - Target / leggings - Torrid / denim jacket - Torrid / shoes - Sketchers

Looking at my outfit posts, and writing up the text for the blog always turns me into a Joan Rivers "Fashion Police"-type: "ughhhh this outfit needs a necklace, and why don't you put on some lipstick?!"

Anyways, my head voices are constantly talking like that.  Must. Silence. Them.

I have a thing for cheap Target dresses.  I always eyeball them when I'm there.  I love the patterns.  I love the price!  But rarely do they actually fit, even the XXL ones. (I wasn't always in that boat, btw...) But this one sort-of does.  So I bought it.  Usually the Target dresses are for girls with small boobs.  Have you noticed that?  So the "waistline" ends up cutting me right across the chest... awkward...

And the hips.  Girls be havin' narrow hips.  But not in this house.



Hey I put buttons on my jacket!  Do you remember my head voices talking about that in the skull-print dress post?  I do.  So I did something about it.  Deets below.



Here's a close-up of the polka-dot print.  I thought the gray with hot pink polka-dots was a nice change from my usual preference for ALL BLACK EVERYTHING.



Ok, here's a close-up of my denim jacket button collection, at present (left to right):

• Derby Lite button - yayy!
• "You Gotta Have Art" NAEA button
• heart pattern button from Steph & Dave's wedding
• Nyan Cat button (gift from my brother Sam)
• original Hell Razor button design in hot pink (I just made new buttons with the flower/skull logo, so you won't see this kind above for much longer!)

Rock on,
Jen @ Hell Razor

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OOTD: More Skulls

dress - Torrid / leggings - Torrid / shoes - Sketchers / shirt - Macy's / necklace - ? / bracelets - Tarina Tarantino

Are you getting sick of my string of OOTD posts yet?  Well, it had been so long since I'd actually done them... I've got a lot of things to show you!  Like this amazing dress from Torrid!  I bought it online over the summer, but I was at Torrid this weekend, and it's IN-STORE!

It can be a tricky dress to wear due to the sheer back, and I normally enjoy a good cardigan or denim jacket, so I had to think a little bit differently.  Enter the striped 3/4 length tee.  Did you know how I love stripes?  If you've been reading for a while, you're more than familiar with this fact.  It sucks when you're a curvy girl though... to wear stripes... but I don't care too much.  I do it anyways.



The only thing about dresses from Torrid that I am not in love with is the length.  It could stand to be just a couple of inches shorter; but I am a short girl, and I may get some energy one day to fix this a bit.
Lately, my free time is going into making more and more flowers.  I haven't listed any new flowers on Etsy lately, but it doesn't mean I've stopped making stuff - by far!  I've had a good run making flowers for people I know - custom requests - and trying to re-stock for my upcoming shows!



Here is a close-up detail of the super fun and amazing skull back on this dress.  You know what else would have been nice?  Some type of embroidery on the hem of the dress in white, too.  Now that the weather is getting cooler, I can't wait to style this dress up with some colorful tights and a scarf.  (Ooh - to-do: find a couple of fun new scarves for the fall...)



I can't for the life of me remember where I got this necklace from.  If I had to guess, I'd say Forever 21... but it might have been Kohl's... or any other chain store, like JCPenney... I went through a "long necklace phase" back before I was pregnant, and I'm trying to re-love them.  If it doesn't work out, I'll end up cannibalizing them for new jewelry pieces.  Reduce, re-use, recycle, right?

These two bracelets are from my tiny Tarina Tarantino collection.  I had not worn them in a while, and they left marks on my fat wrists.  Didn't realize it was that long ago... sigh.

Rock on,
Jen @ Hell Razor

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OOTD: Denim Vest

dress - Forever 21+ / vest - Forever 21+ / leggings - Torrid / shoes - Shoe Carnival / earrings - Betsey Johnson

After reading about fashion trends for Fall, I became convinced that I needed to have a denim vest for the fall.  I looked around online (the biggest issue always being the finding of something in a "plus" size) and decided on this lace-back version from Forever 21+.  I really like that they have reviews online, because I definitely read them before I place an order, just to see how the sizing is, and sometimes for a little insight on the quality, too.



Does something about this seem a little familiar?  You have, in fact, seen this dress before here and here.  It is super comfortable, and easy to mix with other things!  Plus, my love of stripes.  This dress has proven itself time and time again to be an amazing purchase for its ability to be re-styled in a variety of ways.



Above is a close-up of the lace pattern.  I typically prefer a darker denim shade, but this works.  Also, today I tried to wear different shoes, because it sucks to take outfit photos and ALWAYS have the same leggings and shoes on.  Boring.  Sorry guys.



My hair felt kind of dirty, so I decided to back-comb the heck out of it and pull it up, which seemed to work for this day.  My eyeliner turned out pretty good - which is a good thing because when I wear super neutral shadow (this is MAC Yogurt), the eyeliner really stands out, along with any mistakes!

My earrings are Betsey Johnson.  I've had them for a few years, and they just don't get worn as often as I'd like.  Plus, how often can you rock earrings with googly eyes?  Today, for sure!

Rock on,
Jen @ Hell Razor

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Photo Party at Betties N Brimstone

Last weekend we got a few of our friends together for a Betties N Brimstone photo party! The goal was to A) have a ton of fun and B) snap some great promo shots...Success! Meet the gang and check out some of these GREAT shots!

Erin in a 50s Letterman Sweater from Calamity Layne and Skull Flower from Hell Razor

Tony in a 50s plaid jacket and 70s polo From Calamity Layne

Dave rockin' a rockabilly blazer from Calamity Layne 

We turned my kitchen into a dressing room equipped with coffee, Betties N Brimstone garb, and a WHOLE lotta Pomade!

For Erin's makeup, I used Stila eyeshadow mixed with Urban Decay Potion shadow primer. I used Tarte blush in Blissful, and a mixture of Arbonne highlighter and Benefit's Get Even Power #2 for her base.  

This may be hard for some of you to believe, but we kind of have a hard time being serious... ;) This made it a little difficult to get through some of the photos, but it DID make for some fantastic photo opportunities.

We will be posting more pictures soon, so stay tuned!


Steph @ Calamity Layne

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OOTD: Skull Print Dress

dress - Torrid / jacket - Torrid / leggings - Torrid / shoes - sketchers / earrings - Claires

Today was kind of an awkward day.  I had a hard time getting any pictures I felt were even acceptable.  You know, one of those days where nothing seems to look or feel quite right?  Just a "meh" kind of day.  That was this day.  Don't worry - they get better though.



Today's uniform: standard leggings + shoes.  Skull patterned dress from Torrid.  Denim jacket.  Looking at these photos, I think there are a few things that I would change: 1.) my denim jacket needs some sweet buttons on it, and 2.) this dress came with a belt, so I need to utilize that next time.  The fact that this dress is mostly white meant it was kind of a risk (for me - I'm not usually a "white" clothing fan) when I bought it, and now that I see the photos, I feel like it needs to have the pattern broken up more... via a belt or something.



The pattern close-up is super cute.  I love the skulls.  Also, this denim jacket is amazing.  There are little worn patches, and the fabric is broken into a "just-right" state of softness.  And I have short t-rex arms, so I always roll up the sleeves.  Plus, ease of hand-washing for the art teacher.

As I've complained about a zillion times before, it has been several weeks of ridiculously hot and miserable and humid weather.  Ugh.  So today you see my "it's too hot to live" hairdo, which also is the same as my "I don't feel like washing my hair" hairdo.  On this day, it was both.

Also, a close-up of my favorite cheap-o but amazing skull earrings from Claires.  My favorite.

Rock on,

Jen @ Hell Razor

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OOTD: Glasses Dress

dress - Forever 21+ / sweater - Target / leggings - Torrid / shoes - Sketchers

Here's another in what's going to be a long line of outfit posts, so get ready!  I've accumulated a nice bunch of cute new dresses since the end of last school year, so I'll be featuring them here.  Don't you love the pattern of this dress?  I've been looking for something like this for a long time!  Almost a whole year, in fact... here's proof!

BTW - that post from last year makes me think that now I should find an orange sweater to wear with this dress... hmm...



This dress was under $30 from Forever 21 Plus.  Score!  Now, here's the part you didn't expect: I had to buy it in a size too large (my size was completely sold out!), and I altered it myself to fit!  In fact, I've taught myself to do some minor repairs on a few items lately... sometime soon I'll share all of my secrets with you.



I love the combination of this mustard yellow sweater with the black/white/blue combination on the dress.  Once it gets colder out, it'll look awesome with my actual cat eye glasses, too!  I can't stand wearing my glasses when it's hot out.  The sweat under the nose bridge is too much to bear.  Uncomfortable-city!  I can't wait for actual fall weather when I can pull out my tights and boots and glasses again... ooh and scarves too...



Because of this heat, it's pretty much a cycle of the same leggings (in lieu of tights) and flats.  Get used to it.  It's a uniform, in a sense, because I just have to switch out the color and patterns, but the basic pieces stay the same: leggings, a dress, a sweater or jacket.  Done.

I first showed you this necklace in my jewelry box post, which inspired me to polish up my silver pieces from Todd.  He put them in the tumbler to shine them up - look how awesome this turned out!

Rock on,

Jen @ Hell Razor

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Vintage Halloween Thrift Store Finds!

Hey guys!
Happy Friday the 13th! I know what I'll be watching tonight, horror movies!!!

Speaking of horror movies! Halloween is my favorite holiday and the other day I found some GREAT vintage Halloween decorations at Goodwill! Check em' out!

Ghostie Jack-O- Lantern Candle Holder
 
I got this guy because my mom had one around our house when I was growing up and it reminded me of home. I'm pretty sure he's a 70s piece. He's really cool to put in a window or by the fireplace with a tea light or a battery operated "candle." The jack'o'lantern and the ghost's eyes glow!

Skull Candy Pail  

Ok, I don't know if this is vintage, but I thought it would be really cool to keep mail in or something at the front door for Halloween and it was only 49 cents so I really couldn't pass it up!

RIP Ceramic Ghost

I thought this was freakin' hilarious. I couldn't pass it up.

Flippin' Sweet 40s Jack O Lanterns!!!

These are genuine Jack O Lanterns from the 1940s and they're in GREAT condition! One of them even came with the original paper insert for the eyes and mouth!

They're made of paper mache pulp and one of them still has the wire handle attached.  I was so excited when I saw them because ever time I find vintage halloween decorations at antique or vintage stores they're ridiculously prices. These guys sell for up to $800 a piece...I got these for $1.99 each.
I'm so proud of my thrift store jack o lanters I might even keep them up all year long!

Steph @ Calamity Layne

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OOTD: Galaxy Dress

dress - Forever 21+ / jacket - Torrid / leggings - Forever 21+ / shoes - sketchers / necklace - ModCloth

Hey, I'm finally getting my butt in gear to do some outfit posts! Yippee!  Basically, if I get to work early enough, I'll snap some photos before the day begins.  I did pretty well this week and I have several new dresses to share over the next few posts.

Right before school started, I was browsing Forever 21+ online and spotted at least three different "galaxy" print dresses.  I narrowed it down to a couple with prints I liked the best, and then used the online reviews in order to make my final choice.  I'm pretty happy with this one.  It's very flowy and airy, but there's an underlayer that keeps it from being totally sheer.  The dress has spaghetti straps, so I'll always wear something over it.  In this case, my Torrid denim jacket that's kind of became my new favorite thing to wear over pretty much anything else.  

I like having pockets accessible all of the time.  I can carry my phone and my keys around with me, and not have to do the whole "oh where did I put my keys?!" spinny dance every time I need them.  And if I don't carry my phone around with me, I end up putting it in my desk, forgetting that it's there, and leaving it there.  More than once I've had to go back inside at the end of the day because I left my phone in my desk.

Here's a close-up of the galaxy print.  And the sheerness.  What you can't tell 100% in these photos is that I had to fold my leggings up to make them more capri-style because I'm so flippin short.  I wish it would get colder so I could wear my boots.  But noooo, because it's September - so why not be 90 degrees?!

I like this necklace a lot.  I remembered that I had it when I was digging around in my jewelry box for that post.  I think it was a Christmas gift from my mom.  But my mom is awesome so I just made an online wishlist on ModCloth and she likes to order online, so that's what happened.

I think that my makeup turned out pretty good today.  Silvery and blue shadows with a dark blue MAC gel liner.  Right before this, I discovered that my black MAC gel liner is dried up and I need to buy a new one.  Sad face.

Rock on,

Jen @ Hell Razor

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Strange Beauty Show + Other Upcoming Events!

Exciting news!  You can now buy Hell Razor accessories at Strange Beauty Show salon in Chicago!  

Doesn't it look really cool on display?  I was connected with the salon through a couple of friends - one who is a client at the show, and another who works there as a stylist (thanks Lisa and Jimmy!).  In other "small world" news, Stephanie used to get her hair done there too when she lived in the city!

Strange Beauty Show is located at 1118 N. Ashland Ave, and you can reach them by telephone at (773)252-9522.  They provide a variety of services - not just hair, but makeup application, too!  They specialize in pin-up styles and creative cuts and colors, so if you're looking for something unique, give them a call!

The salon is also host to a variety of art exhibitions and special events (such as their upcoming "Beauty Skool" class that features hair and makeup trends of the moment).

So... not only can you buy some sweet new Hell Razor accessories in person at SBS salon, you can also come and find us (Betties N Brimstone: Hell Razor/Calamity Layne) at a few different events coming up in the next few months:

October 11-13 - Vintage Garage @ Scarecrow Fest, St. Charles (BnB: Hell Razor/Calamity Layne)

October 26 - Nightmare on Chicago Street, Elgin (Hell Razor)

Mark your calendars!  There will be more info as the dates get closer!

Rock on,

Jen @ Hell Razor

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Fun with Vintage Chalkware

Hey guys!
Sorry i was MIA last week, my computer freaked out and I wasn't able to finish my blog post! SO, I'm sitting here with a brand new MacBook Pro! Woo!

This past week I also found the weirdest and coolest collection of Chalkwear wall decor at a thrift store. I found Chalkwear fish, horses, fruit with faces, dancers, tea pots... and the best part was that they were all between $1.99 - $4.99 a piece.

The pieces I found range from the 1950s - the 1970s, but Chalkwear has been around since the turn of the century and possibly even longer. It used to be used to make 3D dolls and other prizes given away at carnivals. They're usually really kitschy and painted with bright gaudy colors (just the way I like it)! Check out these fun Chalkwear wall decor pieces!  

70s Cows

If you find wall decor like these, you can usually check to see how old they are by looking at the side of each piece. The date and company are sometimes imprinted there.

Ballet Dancers

I'm fairly certain that these ladies are form the 40s or 50s. They are hand painted and are still in good condition. Chalkwear tends to get beaten up easily so if you pick some pieces up, make sure they're wrapped up for the trip home!

Kitschy Stuffy Guy and Lady

This guy's face was already pretty screwed up before I got him home, but I like the pair anyway! Maybe I can touch him up with some paint and varnish.

Rockabilly Couple

I thought these were very cool and they'll look good in our bedroom (which is black, gold, and red).

Huge Black and Gold Horses

Also another possible bedroom piece.

Kitschy Tea Pot Towel Holders

SUPER weird and really cute. These guys would be great in a kitchen for holding onto measuring spoons, dish towels, or keys!

Ceramic Canaries! 

These are not Chalkwear, but they are still super cute and will look great in our bathroom or kitchen! They're bright, cheery, and kitschy!

Stay tuned for more fun vintage finds and how to decorate with these little guys!

Steph @ Calamity Layne

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