Artist Spotlight: Lana Del Rey

So, we have decided to do something a little different for this Music Monday. Instead of our usual individual song/artist picks, we decided to collaborate on a single post dedicated to a mutually beloved artist and debut what we hope to be the first of many "Artist Spotlight" posts.

Now, from the beginning of What's Bippin, Michelle and I agreed we would never blog about certain topics, specifically certain artists, artists that we both feel very protective and passionate about. I think this was due in part to us being in denial and believing if we never talked about it publicly than we could somehow keep them all to ourselves (ridiculous, I know) and also due in part to us feeling there are just no words worthy of describing our feelings towards them.

As silly as this may sound to some, the impact these artists have had on us has made it very difficult for us to share with others and even though we still don't feel 100% comfortable writing about all of them (there are still some we will NEVER talk about on here), we decided since this blog is about US, we could not and should not withhold these things that make up a huge part of who and what we are.

With that being said, we have decided to loosen the reigns a little and dedicate an "Artist Spotlight" to one of our biggest music and fashion icons: Lana Del Rey.

Here are the facts: Michelle loved her first, now we fight over who loves her more but agree that no one loves her as much as we do combined. Don't get us wrong, we love our fellow Lanatics, but only those who discovered her on their own and have no relation to us. Otherwise, we feel like a child at the playground whose toy has been stolen: "Give her back, she's mine!". Obsessed much? You could say that.

Even as the hardcore Lana fans that we are, there are still lines we simply will not cross. For instance, we strongly dislike blatant and direct imitation out of the profound respect we have for her. Which means that covers of her songs, recreations of her looks/photos and impersonators better nail it to a T (in other words, you better have us fooled for the real thang, mkay?), otherwise in our opinion it is an insult. One might argue that imitation is the highest form of flattery, to which I would repeat, if you can pull it off then fine, but most cannot and here is where the problem lies. We don't blame people for trying, I mean, naturally we all want to be her.... but unfortunately we cannot and if you are a true fan, out of respect for the artist, you would be able to recognize that.

Now, that is not say we are not cool with anything "inspired" by Ms. Del Rey. That is perfectly okay with us. In fact, it's more than okay, we love it! We are guilty of it ourselves! She is our muse in many different aspects.

What makes her so special you may ask? This is probably the hardest question to answer being that it's of a more personal nature, since we could both answer that completely differently. We both love her for a lot of the same reasons and then also for our own reasons. So, instead of trying to explain it, we thought it best to compile some of our favorite Lana works and let you see for yourselves.

Our picks:

I know, I know, we probably should have cautioned you before viewing this that your may explode by all the amazing-ness that is Lana Del Rey. It is too much even for us to handle at times. Please take as long as you need to compose yourselves.

Re-purposed Vintage Earring Bracelet

So, if you are like us and collect vintage clothing and accessories, you well know that over the years, either because of age or carelessness, some items become damaged or lost. We have several incomplete sets of vintage earrings that have either been stranded somehow, possibly when moving or cleaning and others that are in just bad shape. Even if I no longer have the pairs, I just feel bad tossing them out because of how pretty they are. Needless to say, we were so excited when we discovered you don't have to get rid of them and you can actually give them a new life by turning them into bracelets! How sweet is that?

We just love recycling items and giving them a new life, even if it is not how they were originally intended to be used. 

Here is what is needed:

 Adhesive - (Make certain it is one that can be used for metals!)

Bracelet Blanks - (We had to look this up and suggest you do the same if you are not very jewelry savvy. They are not easy to find in stores, so our suggestion is you order online.)

Vintage Earrings - (Depending on how many blanks are on the bracelet, that is how many earrings you will need. Ours had 5 blanks, so we used 5 earrings. Also important to make sure the size of the earrings you are planning to use are similar to each other and depending on the shape of the blanks, that will be the same type of shape you will want to have in the earrings you are using. For example, for round blanks, use round earrings.) 

Next step is removing the back of the earrings, so you are left with a smooth, flat surface. We did this simply by bending the metal back and forth and pulling off with jewelry pliers. Now, simply assemble the pieces and glue on to your bracelet blanks. Allow enough dry time. Over night should be more than sufficient. Once the glue has dried, your bracelet is ready to be worn and enjoyed!

Outfit of the Day

Outfit of the Day

Outfit of the Day

Jean vest and asymmetrical chevron dress.

Ombre chambrey button up.

Outfit of the Day

Black Friday Haul I

Yes, we were THOSE people you have read about and seen on the news, waiting in line for stores to open at midnight on 'Black Friday' (minus the weapons, trampling and only a little shoving). For us however, it was more about the experience than the deals. We love to shop, then throw in saving a few bucks and it was a done deal!

We decided to go pretty much on a whim. Michelle was a Black Friday virgin (home girl had on 4" heeled boots and was expecting to last all night shopping in them), and I had only gone Black Friday shopping once before. We had no game plan, just did a very general search on the Internet and paid for our rookie mistakes. We had no interest in the electronics and appliances everyone was hyped up about. We were going for clothes and beauty products. That being said, our first two stops were a bust: Target and Kohls.

After waisting time wandering amongst the masses at Kohls and Target, plus making a quick pit stop back at my place to switch out Michelle's high heeled boots for my Havaianas, we headed to the mall, where we should have started in the first place.

Both Michelle and I being very big fans of H & M had made it our top priority. The store had been open already when we arrived, however they were only allowing a few people in at a time. When we saw how ridiculously long the line was, we decided I would stay and hold our spot while Michelle ran around the rest of the mall (in my chanclas) to get the scoop on the other stores.

Finally making it inside H & M felt amazing. Compared to their normal prices, you can definitely say they had deals. Select clothing for as little as $5? Don't mind if I do! Unfortunately, most of the insanely low priced items had already been snatched up by the time we got in. Even so, we managed to snag a few items as shown below.

Another store on our radar was the ever popular Forever 21. They had not advertised any to die for deals on-line, but we figured we were there already, so why not stop in to look and good thing we did. We raided the sale section only to find out when we got to the register there was an additional 50% off the sale items... SCORE!

These are a few of our finds:

Scarf: H&M, Cream  Cardigan: H&M

Knit Cream Pullover: H&M

Mint Cardigan: H&M

Burgundy Cardigan: H&M, Black and White Panel Skirt: Forever 21 

Mustard Beret: H&M

Hot Pink Ridged Scarf: H&M

Leopard Mary Janes: Forever 21, Cream Polka Dot Stockings: Forever 21

Black Gloves: H&M

Needless to say, we will be much better prepared for next year, should we decide to go again.