Local Spotlight: The Wondershop's Wonders

I could gush. I could gush all day. 

...about this shop of wonders. 

m- The misses and I have been dealt a long distance relationship. We've been at it for eight months now, and it has done nothing for our obsessions with each other. I actually like the kid these days, interestingly enough! Anyway, our visits are sporadic but special and today was no exception. And, to no one's surprise, Courtney and I matched (unexpectedly) in leopard, denim and black. 

This kid. Today we ventured to our favorite store in town...The Wondershop. 

Kelsey Gibbs is genius. As simple as that. I remember when 

Kelsey first opened this shop while I was still at UNCW. I instantly fell in love.

 There are so many wonderful talents that Kelsey executes effortlessly and it is always a treat to soak in the creative gifts she shares through her passion for fashion. 

                         The Wondershop is precisely just that. A time capsule of past decade's bests.

 Today I scored this floral tie (which would have fit perfectly in our Bada Bing Spring collection) 

                                                  and this awesomely red, vintage cardigan.               

                                 I have a collection of these simple beauties from the past. 

                  The prime time period for these particular cardigans allowed room for unique colors

                                                                      that I cant get enough of. 

Kelsey Gibbs is good. She knows what to do, when to do it, and who to surround herself with. The Wondershop is certainly lucky to have such a perfect team. Clearly, this lady above is no exception. Tasha and I have such a fun Wilmington fashion friendship. Everytime we see eachother we are always dressing up for something exciting. I am such an admirer of Tasha's style.
Appropriately quirky and fashion forward. 

Really fantastic stuff. 

Kelsey picked out THE perfect dress for Courtney when we last stopped by. It's phenom let me tell you. This 80's velvet dress could not be a better fit on the lady. The SLEEVES are so cool and the mesh detail on the chest is supa flattering. I cant wait to see Courtney style this one...

FOR HER BIRTHDAY TONIGHT. 

And if The Wondershop team couldn't be more perfect...Jordan Brackett works here too. Can you say cherry on top? I am envious of Jordan's unique style. I feel like I sometimes get lost in how I want to portray myself in my dress but Jordan knows exactly what works for him. His fashion has evolved immensely over the past couple of years and I am such an admirer. 

Come check out this store of wonders. I promise you wont be disappointed  There is so much talent bursting from the vintage seams of this time capsule. Did I mention that this wonder trio are AMAZING people as well as amazing fashionistas? It matters. 

Come wonder. Each piece is unique....just like you. 

Thank you Kelsey Gibbs for such a gift to Wilmington. 

You've raised the bar and I cant wait to see what's next. 

Now, time for a beer. 

Because we're obsessed. 

f&p

Spring Fashion Trends: Bada Bing, Spring.

I know, I KNOW.

 I took too long to release the beauties but I GUESS Ill share a bit of spring. 

m- The sun has been peeking through and I know you all have seen it. We are on the cusp of something good ladies and gentlemen, and that something good is sunshine. Spring is on it's way.

 I dont know about you, but every bit of my being, is ready to end this year's winter. I need some color in my life! Can I get an amen!? So here we have it....Cassie welcomes Wilmington, North Carolina to spring. Thank you Cassie.

 Spring Stompin in Campbells via mesh and spikes. Just saying those two words, gets my senses going. There is no denying the level of bad-ass that these two ladies embody perfectly. Black was our common denominator this go 'round in our outfits. I think black is a color staple that brings out the best in everything else. Black is right, you know?

 These girls will win. And they will look good while doing it. 

Cassie is my girl. She just gets it. Naturally stunning, intelligent, and fun, I alway enjoy this one's company. Always surround yourself with people that will help you harvest your creativity and move forward. Cassie does just that. 

Earlier this afternoon, Courtney and I hit the vintage pavement and found all kinds of great spring pieces at A Second Time Around in downtown Wilmington. The shirt that I am wearing, although you can not see too well, is a lovely mint green- obviously perfect for spring. My favorite part of this vintage 70's button-up is the sheer quality it has to it. Super fresh. I added the baby yellow vintage Lacoste cardigan, and I could just taste the spring. 

So here we were, having a good time, AND THESE TWO came along. Psh. Just when you think you're having fun....you can have more. We cranked up the heat FAST when these four united. I was having fun you guys. Whew. 

Yellows, Blues, Greens, Reds, FLOWERS. SPRING.

Isn't Courtney M. beautiful? Courtney M. is wearing a lovely canary yellow dress that is just fresh and precious with glorious lines and cutouts. We love it with the denim. Courtney M. is wearing a sheer red blouse, paired with a floral print skirt. This ensamble hinted at Lana for me and I liked it. 

Stacy so swift. Stacy's outfit was the perfect finish to the impromptu collection of the day. These black and white horizontal stripes are super trendy and should be a part of everyone's wardrobe. I loved how Stacy paired this with her watermelon detailed top and denim. Bada bing spring. 

They work it. 

Some totally cool skater boiz were gawking and drooling at the ladies and I had to fight them off. Things got physical. A day in the life. 

Ok it didnt get physical...but they did drool when I forced them to get in the picture. And the boys worked it. Do you see that? Model status boys. Look at that eagle fly. 

GIRLS

Mark Twain once said, "In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside 24 hours." Preach it Mark. This means weather is even more so of a factor in wardrobe during the Spring months. You never know what youre going to get. Rain, Sunshine, cold, hot....come prepared. Cardigans and rain boots do wonderful things when used appropriately. 

So lets keep these daydreams of Spring close because they are so near. 

Plenty of sunshine headed my way. 

Because we're obsessed. 

f&p

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Studs, Velvet, Sequins, Gaga, and the Pres.

c- Michael and I always have a blast when we get to travel and explore different cities together. I was lucky enough to accompany him to Barack Obama's Presidential Inauguration, as well as the Staff Ball in Washington DC a couple of weeks ago.
 Craziness ensued. 

The morning was cold. Beyond cold. But this wasnt going to stop almost 800,000 people to see such a monumental American event. To be honest... we arrived sort of late that morning, not anticipating such long lines to get in the gates. People were in every crevice of the city.Somehow we managed to swing our way in to the right section of the crowd. The crowd was so full of energy that everyone was excited and anxious to get as close as possible. At some point during the ceremony, a barricade got moved and Michael, Leslie, and myself were slyly able to creep our way to the front of the massive sea of people... right when Queen BEYONCE took the stage to lip sync The National Anthem! Incredible!

Our peacoats were the way to do it in this frigid weather. Of course Michael and I have to stray from the normal black city jackets. Michael got his from American Apparel. Ours were camel and a nice royal blue. We wrapped in the red, white, and blue with our warm winter accessories! We were set. 

After such a MOMENT in history, and a day to remember, it was time to get ready for the Staff Ball.
It was beyond exciting.
All of the staff's hard work had payed off....and they were ready to celebrate.As we got dressed for the big event, rumors of Lady Gaga had us all ready to burst with excitement. So, in honor of Queen Gaga, we jammed to our favorite Gaga songs as we slipped into our outfits and made our way to the convention center.

Here you have it, folks! Ready for the ball, Cinderella.  I am wearing a gold sequin cocktail dress I found at Adore Boutique in Raleigh..the shoulder pads on this thing made me feel oh so 80's glam. Michael decided to keep it classic for the First Family with the tuxedo and spiked shoes. 

Leslie looked GOREGOUS in her gown for the ball. Leslie is our little latin beauty that worked on the campaign in North Carolina.This gown is classically flattering and perfect on Leslie.We had so much fun playing dress up and we were so lucky to have this lovely lady by our side this week!

Michael found these awesome studded shoes from Steve Madden and 

this black velvet bow-tie from Aldo.

Drinking and tapas were had with the lovely Millie and we were off to the ball. 

We arrived at the perfect timing, checked our coats, and made our way inside this incredibly large room just full of beautiful people.

A few drinks in, anticipation building, The Obama's and Bidens took the stage for their thank you speeches. It was such a special moment to be in this room with all of these people...and the President. 

But then it was time for the entertainment. President Obama mentioned had a special guest here to celebrate with us, and directed attention to the other stage. On the stage we were right in front of...holy. shit.

Michael and I both have seen her live before, but there was something about this intimate setting, with unbelievable closeness, that truly made a magical impact. She was humble and amazing (per usual). Lady Gaga thanked us and then proceeded to serenade our souls with her acoustic piano version of

 "Born This Way." 

At this point I am experiencing sensory overload. It feels like I could die happy at this moment. But wait, it gets better. Freakin' Tony Bennett joins Gaga for a live performance of one of my favorite songs the duo performs-The Lady is a Tramp. 

Check out this video if you haven't seen these two's magical chemistry.

After her final song "You and I," we had already surpassed cloud nine. The rest of the night was spent with unbelievable people and a fun time.

"I used to walk down the street like I was a star...I want people to walk around delusional about how great they can be-and then to fight so hard for it every day that the lie becomes the truth."

We were stars that night. At least Lady Gaga made us feel that way. 

Because we're obsessed. 

f&p