Inspired By Coco Chanel

 "Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself." 
-Coco Chanel

"In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different."
-Coco Chanel

"If you were born without wings, 
do nothing to prevent them from growing." 
-Coco Chanel

 

"My life didn't please me, so I created my life."

-Coco Chanel

"Fashion passes, style remains."  
-Coco Chanel

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous."
-Coco Chanel

 "I only drink champagne on two occasions.  

When I am in love and when I am not." 
-Coco Chanel

"You can be gorgeous at thirty, charming at forty, 
and irresistable for the rest of your life." 
-Coco Chanel

"Simplicity is the keynote to all true elegance." 
-Coco Chanel

"The best color in the whole world 
is the one that looks good on you." 
-Coco Chanel

"Don’t spend time beating on a wall hoping 

to transform it into a door." -Coco Chanel

"The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud." 
-Coco Chanel

"Success is often achieved by those 

who don't know that failure is inevitable." 

-Coco Chanel

"A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life." 

-Coco Chanel

"Elegance is when the inside is as beautiful as the outside."

-Coco Chanel

"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only; fashion is something in the air. It's the wind that blows in the new fashion; you feel it coming, you smell it...in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening." 

-Coco Chanel

"A woman with good shoes is never ugly." 

-Coco Chanel

"There is no time for cut-and-dried monotony. There is time for work. And time for love.  That leaves no other time." 

-Coco Chanel

Vintage Chanel Blazer

Coco Chanel 1883-1971

Hello! I hope you are staying warm this winter because it's a cold one.  For today's topic, I wanted to ask who is your favorite fashion icon?  My favorite fashion icon is definitely Coco Chanel because of her ability to marry timeless style to the modern values of freedom, passion, and feminine elegance.

Coco Chanel also has some great quotes, so I wanted to share them with you in this inspirational post.  However, the outfit I'm wearing isn't Chanel.  The clothing and accessories in my outfit are vintage pieces "inspired" by Chanel and my boots are actually from Zara, although the last photo features an authentic vintage black and white Chanel blazer I found at a vintage show.  Do you own any Chanel items? And if so, what is your favorite designer piece?  My favorite Chanel item is the quilted handbag.

On a side note, my mother was an artist and taught me a few things about set design and art, so I decided to create a little DIY whimsical French set for these photos.  You've probably seen this set once before because I do batch photography.  What do you think of this set?  

If you could use your imagination to take you anywhere in the world, where would you travel to and why?

Hair: Drybar
Boots: Zara
Makeup: Elizabeth Jones
Clothing and Accessories: Vintage Items (not Chanel) from Retro Reload
Photography: Franz Swantko

Meaningful Mondays: Don't Worry About Failures

Meaningful Mondays: If You Can't Fly Then Run

Meaningful Mondays: Who Cares What Other People Think

My mom surfing in Redondo Beach, CA

Have you started clearing out all of your old stuff to make room for the joys of the new year? In the process, have you stumbled upon old photos or sentimental items that bring up bittersweet memories?  Sometimes when I have to sort through my belongings, I find old photos and it forces me to reminisce about the days when my mother was still alive and having dinner together every night as a family.  As I was sorting, I happened to come across this photo of her in Redondo Beach, California circa a very long time ago haha...before I was born at least.  As some of you may know, she passed away from breast cancer several years ago.  This is actually a photo of her from her "Gidget" days (it's an old TV show), well...at least that's what I like to call it.  She used to surf on longboards, can you believe it?  It was very uncommon for women to surf at that time, so I guess you can also say that my mom was a rebel at heart haha...and honestly, I think it was pretty darn awesome!

I began to think about all the things she used to say to me while I was growing up.  She always said, 

"Who cares what other people think. Just Do It."  

A lot of us get so caught up in the idea of perfection and the "what ifs" of life.  We allow fear, anxiety, and insecurity to creep in.  It's the fear of not living up to other people's expectations of who we should be, the fear of failure, disappointment, and comparison.  Then you realize that time is passing.  Time is always passing...and it's your life!  You have to live your life in your own way and do what makes you happy.

I thought it would be fun to put up some quotes from my mom on my blog every so often.  So, you might see "Gidget Mom" photos and quotes on my blog and Instagram in the future.  She was a tough mom, but I think I turned out okay:)   

This is my favorite picture of her because it truly represents her bold spirit of doing things she loved in life regardless of what other people thought!  I've been reflecting a lot lately about people I've lost.  You have to keep those memories alive, it's their story and their legacy. 

Feel free to share some of your favorite quotes in the comments below, I'd love to hear from you:)

Hope you have a wonderful week:)

Joanna

Meaningful Mondays: Sometimes Good Things Fall Apart

5 Tips On How To Create More Drama (In Your Blog Posts)

Jacket: Zara

Trousers: Vintage

Handbag: Windsor 

Photography: Franz Swantko

Makeup and Hair: Amy Velazquez @ Salon Pop

Hello there!  How are you doing today?  I hope you are laughing as hard as I am! This hair style was inspired by "the wind" haha.  Have you ever had a photo shoot where the wind wasn't cooperating with you, so you just went with it?  This is what I decided to do.  

"Oftentimes life is like adjusting to the weather, and you feel as though you have no control over what is going on around you.  Sometimes you have to just go with it and make it work."  



5 Tips On How To Create More Drama (in your blog posts):

• Accentuate the Positive- Try creating a dramatic makeup look around a specific feature on your face.  I chose my eyes and eyebrows for this dramatic look (and let the wind do the rest), but you can focus on your lips or contour your face as well.
• Accessorize-Choose a loud accessory that screams for attention such as a statement necklace, a fabulous hat or scarf, a handsome handbag, a decorated manicure from Jamberry, or stunning shoes as your focal point.
• Prints-Choose a printed dress, pants, or blouse to draw attention to that particular item.  
• Hair-A beautiful braid, updo, a top notch top knot, a wig, a sleek flat ironed bob, or a crown of curls can elevate any look.
• Photography-Maybe you leave it all up to Photoshop to create the drama for you.  Using different filters (on Instagram, black and white, or sepia) and lighting can really add some drama at the end of  the day.  Also, using different photographers to give your photos an updated and more curated look through their eyes can make all the difference.  Some people prefer realistic looking photos, while others prefer fantasy oriented or highly edited ones.  I think it's important "not to judge" other bloggers for their chosen style if it is not like your own and to also stay open to creating different styles for yourself.  

I hope you found these tips helpful!

  

What do you do when you get bored with your style and want to create a more dramatic look? Do you get a new hair style? Dye your hair? Change your makeup? Or overhaul your whole personal style?  I'd like to hear from you in the comments below.

Have a great week!

Joanna 

You can follow my adventures on Instagram @astylishlovestory