#TheMessyProject ----> black swan

its baaaaackkkkk

Welcome back to the one & only #TheMessyProject!

SO If you are new around here & have yet to hear about the project, you can check out all the info HERE..... but here's just a quick little intro to help you get more acquainted to the project  ----> 

so like I said last week, since July is the 1 year anniversary of #TheMessyProject I wanted to go back to the basics of fashion...

Black & White 

& last week was white....so today we are tackling my FAVORITE color to wear

BLACK....& i wanted to round out the 1 year celebration with a bang so I sent the girls these gorgeous black dress with a crinoline....i die

So its no secret around these parts I am obsessed with hippy crowns. I can't get enough. But when I got this beyond beautiful flower crown that is now my favorite hair piece ever (EVERY girl needs one) from my girl Melis at Mila Rose Designs I decided to base my entire outfit around the flower crown....

{ sidenote: MRD is closed until the re-launch in late August while she works on new fabulous fall products!!!! }

since the crown was the main part of my outfit I knew I couldn't get too crazy with many more accessories or it would just look tacky. So I decided to add a big silver statement necklace to break up all the black and a ton of skinny silver bracelets. I completed the look with 2 statement rings on each hand along with my Tory Burch purse with silver accents. I decided to wear short booties instead of heels to give the dress a rocker feel. 

Besides the fun crinoline, which made me feel like a ballerina...another fun feature I loved about this dress is the back.....its like classy in the front, party in the back! 

I don't know why but after looking through the pictures I felt like a glamorized version of an evil Disney queen from Sleeping Beauty or Snow White.

dress: local boutique {sorry ladies}
boots: sam edelman
bracelets: forever 21
necklace: express
purse: tory burch
black diamond ring: nordstrom
flower crown: mila rose designs

So what do you think of the flower crown? Would you wear a dress with a crinoline? How would YOU have styled the dress? 

Now go & check out how the other girls styled the dress ---->>>

Haley @ Lincoln Street Boutique the BLOG

Amy @ Trials & Triumphs of my Loving Sailor 

Morgan @ Stars, Stripes & A Military Life

Dinah @ Sunshine Super Glam

& before I go the winner of #TheMessyProject spot for August is ------->>>>>

Erin Gran Harris from Harris Heart to Hearts

Congrats girl, I will be emailing you ASAP so we can get everything started!!! 

Wanna sign up for a future round of #TheMessyProject? Fill out this form HERE to be added to the waiting list or email TheMessyProject@gmail.com for details.

sorority girls

via

SO i don't know if you girls know this or not but I was once a sorority girl back in the day. I was a Gamma Phi Beta & proud of it! It was a lot of fun...my favorite part being the formals of course.


It feels like it was such a life time ago when I was a GPhi....so it brought back some memories when I signed up for Chelsees Big & Little Program for Bloggers.....so we started chatting...or should I say tweeting ---

SO with that all said & tweeted I am so excited to be teaming up with Chelsee from Southern Beauty Guide, Amanda from Rhyme & Ribbons, and Kristyn from Carolina Fireflies to bring you a one-time link-up!




So "GET EXCITED LADIES" for the Greek is Greek Link-up!

We will all be linking up on Wednesday, August 7th and hope that you all will join us!!



If you were greek, tell us about it!  We want to meet you!  If you weren't greek, tell us about some greek experience you had - a fraternity formal you went on, maintaining a relationship with your best friend that was in a sorority, how happy you were that you didn't join a sorority, whatever you want!


ANYTHING Greek Goes!


So dig up those old sorority photos...can't wait to show you mine...& get your post ready, grab a button, and link-up with us on August 7th!

<center> <a href="www.carolinafireflies.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Carolina Fireflies" src="http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a534/Carolinafirefly/greekisgreekbutton200x200_zpsf036ba36.jpg"/></a></center>




Will you be joining us for Greek is Greek??! 

& don't forget the last round of #TheMessyProject for July is WEDNESDAY....be ready to be blown away, again!!

#TheMessyProject ------>>> Coco Chanel

ah!

can you believe it?!

who knew a year ago when I started this little project by mentioning it on twitter a few times that in a year it would have grown to be so big & popular.

I cannot thank you guys enough for all the support with the project! It wouldn't be anything if I didn't have you guys, so THANK YOU...& a HUGE thank you to everyone who was apart of a past project. 

It has been such a year of different outfits..some we loved, some we did not....SO I thought I'd take you down memory lane, starting with the very FIRST project that launched back in July 2012. 

I can't thank these girls enough for being my test babies with the project. They really helped me bring it to life....& who can forget the adorable coral polka dotted first piece!?

Jenna @ Yours Truly

Janna @ Perception is Everything

Kelly @ Modern Camelot

Lauran @ The Real Young Housewife of Northern VA

& now a year of outfits

august, september, october, november....ooh the sequin shorts that was a risky one

december, january, february, march.....ah the MC hammer pants...not a fav of mine

april, may, & then 2 rounds in june 

my favorite month?

November......the sequin shorts, hands down. 

what was your favorite month? 

& now onto the 1 Year Celebration Outfit

SO since it's the 1 Year Anniversary of #TheMessyProject I had to do something special. Since the past year has been a mix of crazy & fun pieces I thought I would bring it back to the beginning. the basics of fashion. 

the classics. 

Black & White

& since the only way I know how to celebrate is to dress up...I did just that.

Front & Back

I loved how the back of this dress was low cut and the lace was sheer. It added such a fun twist on such a pretty & girly dress.....& if you can tell since the back is low wearing a bra with this dress was a little hard...& considering its white I had to wear something right?! Thank God for my mom & her old school ways...i just put some bandaids over the nips & that was it....

{too much information?...sorry guys}

I am lucky enough to be surrounded by 5 star hotels so this photo shoot was done at The St. Regis Monarch Beach Hotel  & couldn't have been more perfect for the look I was going for ----

so as you can see I added a black belt with some diamond accents to the dress. But you will be surprised to know that the belt you see is actually a headband that I put around my waist. This dress felt so Coco Chanel to me so I went with it and added just a few classic black pieces & some diamond jewelry to go with the diamonds on the 'belt'. 

My black Mary Jane's were the perfect shoe to wear with this girly ensemble...& as you can see I didn't add a necklace because the belt was enough....& i am not much of a dangling earrings person anymore so I stick to my simple diamond studs. Remember less is more. 

dress: h&m
purse: chanel
shoes: charlotte russe
belt/headband: jolie usa
hat: kmart
bracelet & round diamond ring: forever21
black diamond ring: nordstrom 
nail polish: opi 'black satin'

i'm not gonna lie, i LOVED this dress and I loved this look. it couldn't be more me. 

So what do you think of using a headband as a belt? How would you have worn the dress? 

Now go & check out how the other fabulous girls have styled the dress.....& incase you haven't noticed yet, each one of the girls in this round are from a past project! 

Melis of MRD Girl Musings

Janna of Perception is Everything

Jessica of Jessica Who? 

Jenna of Fitness in the City 

oh wait! one more thing.....

you didn't think I would leave you hanging without some type of giveaway did you!? Whats a celebration without presents....am I right?! 

SO today I am giving away a spot on #TheMessyProject for NEXT Month!!!!!

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway