Left:  Dress- Vanessa dress in Slate /  Jewlery- Tiffany & Co. /  Purse- Chocolate Handbags (similar) /  Shoes-  Ssh-oes Madeline Pump

Right: Dress- Monique dress in Elke  / Jewelry:  Forever 21  /  Shoes:  Miz Mooz via HauteLook

From time to time, we all need to channel our inner heartbreaker, don’t we?  To rock the frock you know will break necks and break hearts- to make you feel like a million bucks whether you’re going for a “va-va-voom vixen,” or a “I’m just here to have fun” kind of look.

What I love about vintage inspired dresses is that you can look hot and still feel confident that your lady lumps aren’t going to fall out of your dress- either top or bottom!    For too long I ended up with garments that were too short or designed with a stick figure in mind,  when a design has vintage sensibility you know it will fit you like a glove, accentuate your sexy curves and still cover you up just enough.  

If you’re going for haute, not hoochie, you are going to love Heartbreaker as much as I do!

Here’s also why I love Heartbreaker fashion-  it’s run by a mother daughter team in California and their dresses are made in the U.S.A.   Also, Mandie Bee (one of the owners) is a flippin’ sweetheart & I seriously wish I had HALF her entrepreneurial smarts + excellent taste!  If you want an investment dress- know you’re not just investing in your wardrobe, you’re supporting female entrepreneurs that create sustainable work here in the states.  Good, good stuff.

So…back to the clothes…

I wore the Vanessa Dress to a beer tasting night at a local restaurant and yes, the dress got some attention.  I will have to talk about the uber comfy heels I walked a million miles in to get the event (another post for another day!) from Ssh-oes,  but this dress wore really well, was gorgeous and was just dressy enough to get me some good stares without making me feel over-dressed… you know what I’m talking about?

I always want to look polished and put together when I get dressed, but never overdressed- that, to me is unwelcome attention.

The next day, I wore the more casual Monique dress in a fun and comfortable cotton print to walk Ralph, run to the store and peruse the neighborhood.   (I even pretended to vacuum in this cute ensemble!)  The item didn’t wrinkle too much and breathed well for a humid day.  I love this dress as well- just a step up above “normal” casual, but not too stuffy to look overdressed… it’s important to feel confident in what you wear, and I loved this dress!

To be honest- I’ve always been intrigued, but intimidated by pin-up style…not anymore!

If you’re as smitten with vintage fashion as I am, dip your toes in the water with some flattering dresses from Heartbreaker Fashion (and tell them I said hello!)

So, what’s your stance on vintage-inspired style?  

What fashion do you love to experiment with?

I always seem to start the new year with good intentions-  this year, my goal was to incorporate regular meditation and yoga into my life.  I am a truly blessed and grateful person who has strong faith in the universe, but I have my moments of anxiousness when I feel compelled to ask, “WELL UNIVERSE,  COULD YOU JUST REVEAL MY PURPOSE ALREADY?!”

I started the year off with meditation and yoga- but found as school picked up and I was caught in the rush, I was constantly in go-mode, very rarely taking time for peaceful reflection beyond crossing off tenacious goals off a to-do list and evaluating progress.

Even in the days following my graduation, I still was hacking through the unfinished projects- mulling over my bucket list and checking out every book I could in the library.  Distractions, motivated distractions- but distractions none the less.  You can spend your whole life researching and preparing only to go in circles without knowing how to make a good decision for yourself… I’ve made the pros/cons lists and rationalized myself into irrationality.

Yesterday though, I had enough.  My head was spinning with possibility and going absolutely nowhere.  I have unprecedented freedom-  but with all the possibility, what’s the smartest way to go about it to make your dream life totally real? Where do you even begin to start laying priorities?

After reworking my résumé and looking over job listings (I’ve decided that if I am to afford living anywhere but here I’m going to need to score some money for an emergency fund, health insurance & possibly enough for a vacay?!) I was overwhelmed and stressed.  Even when you feel you’re making the right decision, it’s easy to be plagued with anxiety…mainly the “short term sacrifices vs.  long term goals,” as further complicated by temporarily stalling dreams to achieve others, and funding it all.

Through this all, I’ve been rocking some gorgeous Mala Beads from Tiny Devotions.  Mala beads are crafted with specific intentions in mind- while they’re prayer beads, each design is constructed for a specific purpose-  healing, love, forgiveness.  They are handmade with stones said to harness certain intentions or powers, but also with rudraska seeds that are traditionally used for Malas.  Traditionally, if a Mala breaks- it means karma has broken… powerful stuff!

I got them last week and picked them out because they are designed with the entrepreneur and fashionista in mind…made from onyx and pearls.

My Mala Beads from Tiny Devotions …To Master My Destiny:

“Determination, focus, and direction are traits that can be lost in everyday life, but this stone also helps cultivate self -control and wise decisions.”  -description of the Black Onyx Mala

As I come through big decisions of my own- where and how to work, how to artfully and intentionally craft my life around to discover my purpose & to guide my thoughts through a stressful process with some tranquility, these beads helped me meditate without getting distracted.

Originally, I wore them as a fashion statement- I was too stressed to think about intentions.  As the days went on though- I found that the beads actually did harness my intentions, and wearing them around my neck or playing with them in my hands lead me to peacefully reflect on my decisions and calmly evaluate my game plan.

When I’m not wearing my beads, I hang them near a card my dear friend Jenny sent me for graduation:

“With new knowledge, an open mind and a seeking heart, may you find your own path to success and happiness.”  

That’s the hope… this is where my focus lies, in discovering that path (and you know, not driving myself crazy doing it!)

The Mala has become an active part of  my day- not just a passive peace of jewelry that hung listlessly around my neck.  I meditate with the beads to sort through some of the worry and stress surrounded with the big decisions I’m making.

Sure, they’re a gorgeous accessory-  but when you need a beautiful reminder to live by your goals and harness your intentions into the smallest of thoughts, these beads do the trick.  

You can get your own over at LoveTinyDevotions.com … but be advised, the array of beads are just as beautiful as the intentions behind them!

Do you meditate?  What tools or practices keep you grounded?

I want to make this blog better…to bring you the content that’s delish and helpful.

I have a 3 question survey that takes just a minute (literally)…could you help a sista out?

{Take The Survey Here}

Please leave a comment below if you were able to take the survey & I’ll be rewarding one winner with a makeup sample goodie bag!  

(ends 5/28)

I was nominated for Entrepreneur of the Month over at Daytime With Donna…yay!

 Winning would be awesome and voting is uber easy!

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Muchas Gracias

Dress- CEO Dress from Shabby Apple  /  Jewelry- Betsey Johnson from Nordy’s Rack  /  Shoes Tweed from GoJane.com

This dress reminds me of Mad Men-  I wasn’t quite sure if I could pull it off, but hot damn, do I ever feel vixen-alicious in this ensemble!  Meeeow.  World domination is in sight with this hot red dress!

This is my second piece from Shabby Apple and every time I get a piece from their vintage inspired collections, my heart skips a beat.   I saw this CEO dress on the site and loved the bold red color, curve hugging cut and keyhole neckline.  The dress even includes buttons on the sleeve,  adding a bit of playfulness to a va-va-voom ensemble.

What I love about Shabby Apple is the fact that you can feel gorgeous wearing their pieces- but they also have a heart of gold.  Shabby Apple donates a portion of their profits with Unitus, an organization working to bring life-changing micro-loans to the world’s working poor.

Each dress has a tag explaining their philanthropic endeavors-  the dresses are timeless and their mission is flawless.

The dresses are gorgeous, flattering and if you love style that’s Mad-Men-esque that still makes men go mad for you, Shabby Apple is where it’s at!

 Oh, and of course-  Shabby Apple is rewarding one lucky reader with a $50 Gift Certificate to get any dress your heart desires!

Head over to BeautifulGiveaways.com to enter!

Be sure to enter the giveaway- but know you can also get 10% off your Shabby Apple order with the code:  frugalbeautiful10off