So if you are like me, then you have probably waited until the last minute to make solid plans for halloween. [Life has been busy lately- it snuck up on me!] Luckily the folks over at Caren West PR sent me an email packed with fun things to get into this weekend, in Atlanta. Let me share! 

STK Atlanta – Yelloween Magnum Monday – October 27th, 7 p.m. 

Join STK Atlanta for a special Halloween-themed edition of Magnum Monday, its high-energy, weekly champagne dinner party series. Guests are invited to arrive dressed in their sexiest creature of night attire, while taking advantage of 1.5 liter magnum bottles of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Champagne for only $150 while noshing on Chef Mark Alba's new fall menu. DJ London will provide tunes to bring the party to life as guests dance the night away in STK’s sleek, sexy lounge area that will be decorated to properly kick off Halloween week in style. In addition, guests are encouraged to show off their costumes and capture the spirit of the night in a photo booth. STK is located at 1075 Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta on the corner of Peachtree and 12th Streets. Complimentary valet parking is available on 12th Street. For more information visit www.stkhouse.com or book reservations by calling 404.793.0144.  Join the conversation at www.Facebook.com/STKATL and on Twitter at @STKAtlanta and Instagram at @eatstk.

Cypress Street Pint & Plate – 80s Zombie Prom - October 31st, 8 p.m.

On Friday, October 31st, walkers from across the city will gather at Cypress Street Pint and Plate in their finest for an evening of thrills during the inaugural Cypress 80s Zombie Prom. Beginning at 8 p.m., makeup artists will provide guests with zombie “make-unders” to help transform Midtown’s favorite neighborhood haunt into a retro 80s style prom scene.  Sponsored by Lonerider Brewing Company, VIP guests can indulge in unlimited Lonerider brews as they dance the night away to the decade’s best hits courtesy of DJ Pat O’Brien. In the spirit of tradition, Cypress will award the evening’s best-dressed pair the coveted titles of Zombie Prom King and Queen, as guests capture the evening’s best moments in an undead photo booth, complete with a backdrop to set the theme. Additionally, in an effort to give back to the community, Cypress will donate a portion of VIP ticket sales to The Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that provides emergency assistance to Atlanta restaurant industry members in need. General admission is free and VIP tickets are available for $25 at www.cypressbar.com. Cypress is located at 817 West Peachtree, Suite E-125 in Midtown Atlanta.  For more information, visit www.cypressbar.com or call 404.815.9243. Follow Cypress Street on Twitter and Instagram at @CypressStreet and Facebook at Facebook.com/CypressStreet. 

Winter Wren – Trick-o-Treat Halloween Celebration – October 31st, 6 p.m. 

Join Winter Wren for a spooktacular celebration this Halloween. Beginning at 6 p.m. on October 31st, all ages and pups are encouraged to get into the Halloween spirit at the stylish boutique with trick-or-treating, spooky cupcake decorating, a costume contest and more.  All guests in costumes (or if guests are simply escorting their favorite little monsters or furry costumed friends) will receive 20% off all purchases that evening. Winter Wren is located at the corner of 1004 N. Highland Avenue NE in the heart of Virginia Highland.  For more information visit www.facebook.com/WinterWrenATL or call(404) 888-9736.  Join the fashionable conversation on Instagram and Twitter at @winterwrenatl. 

Red Pepper Taqueria – Day of the Dead Celebration, November 1st, 5 p.m.

Head to Red Pepper Taqueria on Saturday, November 1st as they celebrate Day of the Dead at both the Briarcliff and Buckhead locations. With live music, traditional decorations, specialty cocktails, $3 Harpoon UFO Pumpkin drafts, and cuisine created by chef and owner Mimmo Alboumeh, all ages are welcome to experience an unforgettable day that also includes complimentary face painting from 5 to 7 p.m. at Briarcliff and 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Buckhead.  Lynnette Della Luce will be preforming at 7 PM at the Briarcliff location while Upang will be preforming at the Buckhead location at7 PM. Kids are also invited to create their own masks, while specially designed masks from the Red Pepper team will be available for purchase and 100% of proceeds will be donated to their co-worker and popular bartender Jonathan “Spanky” Billick to help cover medical expenses in his fight against stage III melanoma cancer. Red Pepper is located in Decatur at 2149 Briarcliff Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329 and in Buckhead at 3135 Piedmont Road Atlanta, GA 30305.  For more information, visit www.eatredpepper.com. Stay connected on Twitter and Instagram at @redpepperatl and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/redpepperatlanta. 

What are you getting into this holiday weekend? Whatever you do, be safe, have fun, take lots of pictures and CALL A CAB! or Uber it!

Psst! : Can you believe its already NOVEMBER!!?!? Where does the time go?!

Hello and HAPPY Wednesday! 

I hope every has had a good week thus far, and the weekend//Halloween is just around the corner! I LOVE halloween! It's that time of year when it finally starts to cool off, the leaves start changing and the rest of the year gets festive! 

So keeping with the festive vibe, this weeks inspiration is Edvard Munch's The Scream. Another, extreamly famous painting, that I am sure you have seen parodies of before. This painting always makes me think of halloween, and the colors Munch used are just so vibrant. 

Edvard Munch actually created four different versions of this painting, in various media- including paint, pastels and lithograph prints. The ones being completed in paints being the most well known [they all looked the same, just done in different art forms=media]. 

From a journal entry Munch wrote on January 22, 1892, he explains that the inspiration for 'The Scream' came to him while on an evening walk. He said the sun was setting and the clouds were blood red, 'the color shrieked' and he 'sensed a scream passing through nature'. The original German title given to the painting was 'Der Schreider Natur', translation 'The Scream of Nature'. 

I knew this merigold skirt I have would be perfect to wear with this prompt, as the color is pulled almost directly from the painting. I also pulled out the blue hues from the painting with my denim shirt and dark green bag. 

So, let me go on a tangent for a second....Whenever I don't post [be it on instagram or here on the blog] where I got my items from, people always comment//email asking where I got my outfit. It's not that I don't want to share this info with you, its just that I don't necessarily  think of myself as a 'fashion blogger' or 'fashionita'. 

Most of my outfits are made by 'shopping my closet' and using clothing that I have had for years [that you wouldn't be able to find exactly anymore- and I don't always have the time to search the web to find a similar one to link up to for you.]. I really don't shop that much, and when I do- its usally just Target + Old Navy. I don't spend alot of money on clothes and jewelry- I kinda think its silly to keep up with the trends, or post the same picture of a necklace//dress//bag//top//whatever that 1024798374298 other blogger girls have also posted//blogged about. I'm not trying to take a jab at any one who does, becuase obviously so many fashion bloggers out there are super successful and get stuff for FREE [which would be nice] all the time, AND get paid to make fashion post all the time. So more power to you! 

After my little summer style internship, with a stylist out of NYC- I realized that I may not know a lot about fashion, or fashion designers, BUT I do know alot about style, combing colors + textures, and re-inventing that 'same ole outfit'. All skills I picked up in ART CLASS! 

I would consider myself stylish, not fashionable. As fashion trends change and fade away, and well my salary just can't keep up. Your personal 'style' may evolve over time, but not change season to season, year to year.  To be stylish, you don't have to have alot of money, or spend alot of time looking at magazines or Pinterest to know what to wear. Getting dress for me has always been another way to 'express' myself, not blend in. 


Start with what you like, what makes you feel good and what works for your body. If your still starring blankly at your closest, try giving yourself an prompt, or inspiration. [Like #OnWednesdayWeWearArt or there all a TON of other #StyleChallenges you can find on instagram to participate in. Style challenges are a super fun way to connect with others, and to get your wheels turning on how to put together outfits that you may have not thought about before].

ANND end tangent! However, if you were wondering...My hat + booties are from Urban Outfitters // top : Ross // bag + skirt + rings : Target .

Next weeks inspiration is Russian abstract painter Wassily Kandinsky, do your research [google images] and get inspired! 
 

Hey folks!

Hope your week is off to a great start! I have had a busy one, getting ready for my Friendsgiving event [which I NEED to make a post about] and planning a trip to Brazil for Christmas + New Years, oh- and working... No complaints whats so ever, just trying to keep up with life right now! 

I have had this ready to post for a month now, and just havent done so, [whomp, whomp] but this calendar has been a game changer for me! I love that it is so easy for me to keep my blog stuff separate from work//life stuff and it helps that its so easy for me to change around too [being that its made with washi tape + dry erase paint- two very forgiving materials]!

I got the idea instantly when I saw the paint on sale at Target. I had been thinking about making a washi tape wall calendar for some time, but never thought to use dry erase paint! PERFECT SCORE! 

I don't have more pictures of the process, as my sim card was corrupted, but I was lucky enough to get these from my i-phone. 

What I did :

-Used the blue painters tape to mark off a large square, as big as you want your calendar to be.
-Then mix up paint solution. Follow instructions + mix really well! 
-Paint square section you taped off, let dry. Apply a second coat + following all other directions. 
-Let dry completly. 
-Use a tape measure to measure sections for calendar [this will be based on your preference] 
-Apply washi tape.
-Use dry erase markers to label + date
-Tah-Dah! 

Psst! :  clearly I deivate from my 'schedule', thats okay though, life gets busy! 

Hi Friends + Happy Wednesday and on Wednesday we wear art + this weeks inspiration is OP Art! 

Chris and I have had so much fun galavanting around town, shooting these photos. We usally go out on a Sunday and shoot an outfit or two. I know you probably wouldn't believe me, but I actually hate being in front of the camera. It makes me feel soo awkward and self-conscious. Once upon a time, I tried my hand at modeling and talk about anxiety! It can be quite intimidating having a crowd of people [photographer, stylist, assistants, art directors, hair & makeup artist + the client your shooting for] you do know dress, stare, poke and talk about you [almost as if your not there] and then be expected to 'perform' and look effortlessly beautiful [what am I supposed to do I do with my arms?!?!]  Oh the poor models. hah but really, its not always as fun//glamourus as it may seem. 

I've learned that if I am not in a studio, in front of a bunch of big lights and people, but rather out and about + being silly then we can achieve that effortless beautiful look. Luckily, Atlanta is saturated with beautiful public street art, providing us with a plethora of colorful backdrops for these shoots. Plus, natural light is the best! I am trying to make it a point now, that when I am driving around town and come across some great street street art- to snap a photo real quick + catalogue it for later. I always forget where I saw a great mural, then have to go on a wild goose chase to find it again! 

I was talking to Chris about making an interactive map type thing for the site that catalogues the street art + my outfit so that if my readers would like to visit the mural in person, it will be easy to locate!  Whatcha think? 

Anywho, OP art is optical [illusion] art. Art that plays with the eyes + mind. It may give the viewer the impression of movement, hidden images, flashing, vibrating, swelling or wraping. Some may consider it a form of abstract art, with most Op art pieces being in black + white. 

Bleow, to the left is a compostition by artist//mathematician M.C. Escher. That style of tiled image, repeated over and over, with no gaps or spaces if called a tessellation [something you probably learned about in math class]. 

The image to the right is one is of London artist Bridget Kiley, who was a pioneer in the Op art relm. I love how the stripes on her shirt blend but at the same time is contrasting with the stripes in the art. [And don't you love the bowl cut?! My brother rock one of those for years!] 

And incase you were wondering, this wall is located in the Summer Hill neighborhood of Atlanta, directly beside Turner Field.

Above is two more examples of Op art, one I am sure you may recognize- if you have ever attened a public school in America. I can't tell you how many classrooms I have seen a poster of those hands hanging up- its a good one! And I just like the Zebras. I believe these two images are a great examples of how Op art doesn't always have to be something thats super abstract, or just shapes or patterns. It can be created [and maybe be more insteresting] with real life subjects. Many critics considered M.C. Escher to be a surrealist as well, as a lot of his pieces have a dreamy like feel to them. 

Get the look : [ Dress//tunic : Free People || leggings : Target || Shoes : Modcloth || Collar necklace + Sunglasses : D.I.Y] 

Psst! : I am new to Twitter [yes I said NEW, don't judge! So if you are out there tweeting, find me and tweet me something @_MyFriendCourt !