Jackpot!

My sorority sister, Courtney, is getting married in September!  Since she is the first of our college friends to get married, she is the lucky duck who gets to have her bachelorette party in Las Vegas.  I've never been to Vegas, but I know that it's the perfect excuse to buy some fancy dresses and strut your stuff in celebration of your friend's last few weeks as a single lady.  I found a few dresses that I know would look fantastic on my gorgeous friends - all totally Vegas-appropriate.  Have at it, ladies!

Which one is your favorite? 

1  Coast Marlena Dress, $175 | 2  Embellished Neck Tulip Dress, $83 | 3  Drape Cowl Back Dress $42

4  Silk serenade dress, $70 | 5  French Connection Sequin Dress, $287 | 6  Ruched silk dress, $42

Bridal Shower

It seems like every other week, someone I know is either getting married or getting engaged (one of my dearest friends, Erin, was proposed to last week)!  It's so exciting to see them starting a new chapter in their lives, and with this new chapter comes many special events that require equally special outfits.  One particularly important event in a bride-to-be's life is her bridal shower.  Call me old fashioned, but I've always loved when the bride wears a chic ivory or white dress to her shower - nothing too fancy, but still gives her guests a glimpse of how stunning she will be in a few short months when she is in The Dress.

I've kept this look simple, because brides tend to have "the glow" and we certainly do not want to distract from that! The stunning necklace is a perfect complement to the ivory scallop-trimmed dress.  Simple strapped gold heels, nude earrings, and pale pink polish round out this stunning and elegant bride-to-be look.

Lookin' good through the years

I tend to post inspiration looks for the 20's and 30's age group, but there are definitely looks that could be work by a 20 year old or a 50 year old and look equally gorgeous and age appropriate.  I created the look below after a plea from Joe's mom - she still wants to look chic but doesn't want to dress too young for her age.

The leopard belt and green cardigan give the outfit a fun, playful vibe, while the ruffled button-down tank and cropped black pants are appropriate for an older demographic.  An understated black clutch, simple black sandals, and a classy watch tie this entire look together.  I would love to have this outfit, and I think Joe's mom would, too!

1. Ruffled Top - Old navy, $15

2. Slimming Cropped Pants - Old Navy, $20

3. Pocket cardigan - Talbots, $60

4. Forever21 crocodile handbag, $20

5. ASOS belt, $22

6. Fossil Watch - Piperlime $115

7. ASOS chunky earring, $14

8. Braided Rope sandals - Old Navy, $23

Mixing It Up

As my wardrobe continues to expand, I still find myself saying, “I have nothing to wear”. It makes no sense, I have tons of clothes, shoes, and accessories (sidenote: Joe counted my shoes the other day – I’ll spare you the details {I am sorry but slippers do NOT count}, but even I was surprised at the final number). I’ve been reflecting on why I continue to feel like my wardrobe is lacking, and I think I’ve finally honed in on the main reason. I tend to stick to one genre when styling a look for myself; if I am wearing one feminine piece, then the entire outfit will be “girly”. This method ends up severely limiting my wardrobe and my creativity. It’s time to break out of the imaginary boxes I’ve created for the pieces in my wardrobe and start mixing things up.

Today’s look is an example of baby steps into my journey to mix it up in my wardrobe.

Here, I have paired feminine pieces (flowy pink skirt, white lace tank, and a pale blue soft cardigan) with two "rougher" leather accessories (the belt and the wedges). Then, in order to bridge the gap between the two categories, I picked a few accessories that are a bit dainty, but not overly feminine. I chose a nude polish for the nails (whereas normally I probably would have chosen a light pink). 

Try to experiment by putting pieces together in one outfit that you normally wouldn’t mix. You might be surprised with how the items in your closet seem to have magically multiplied.



Go Grease Lightning

As you probably noticed, the beach is on my brain. The dull, gloomy, depressing gray weather continues in Cincinnati and I have set my sights on sunnier, warmer places.

As soon as I saw these shorts from Anthropologie, I knew I needed to put together an outfit that showcases them.  These shorts take me to a "Grease" time period where the women were starting to dress to show their bodies, but still maintained a level of modesty. I channeled Rizzo as best as I could (she was always my favorite – a hard, no-nonsense exterior but a bit of a softy underneath it all) and put together this retro-inspired look.

Beach Bum

How do you feel about jean shorts?  They're a bit of a touchy subject with me, because there are so many possibilities for wrong-doing with a pair of jean shorts (and the commonly-used term "jorts" doesn't sound too glamorous either).  Too short, too tight, too light, too ripped..... I could go on.  If you're fortunate enough to have the legs to pull off a pair of jean shorts this summer, here's an inspiration to keep it classy:

Shorts, if styled the wrong way, can leave you leaving too little to the imagination by showing too much skin.  If you're going to wear a sassy pair of shorts, balance the look by pairing it with a more covered up shirt.  This silk and cotton "jade" colored shirt is perfect for summertime because it is lightweight, so you won't be sweating to death the moment you walk out of air-conditioned luxury.  With the addition of this navajo-patterned scarf and the gold bangles from Forever21, you've got a look that is sure to turn heads - for all of the right reasons.

Cobalt + Tangerine

Happy Monday, dears.  Sorry for the silence since Tuesday, I posted a look on Thursday but due to the Blogger issues, it was erased!  I'll re-post it sometime this week (lucky you, you'll get 4 looks instead of the usual 3 per week!).

We discussed Color-Blocking a few months ago, and while I am still intrigued with the idea of it all, I am not totally sold on how I would pull it off with a wild combo like pink and green or red and pink.

I can, however, get comfortable with more classic combinations like orange and blue:

I know I blab on and on about the color wheel (sick of me yet?), but this is another instance of how understanding the color wheel can help you create unexpected, yet visually appealing outfits.  And if that didn't sell you on this outfit, what if I were to tell you these shoes were only $28, is that something that you might be interested in? (can you name that tv show?).

New Neutrals

Although color-blocking with tons of bright colors is super "in" right now, a good summertime tan is the perfect canvas for a stunning outfit made up of neutrals.  Ditch the brights and embrace the beauty of a subdued color palette.  Pick items that are unique to make the outfit stand out despite the fact that it is void of bright colors - the attention to detail will help you stand out.
 

Spring Fling

Spring is such a beautiful time of year; the flowers are blooming, the weather is cool and breezy, and our bodies can finally be freed from the shackles of bulky wool sweaters, thick socks, and unflattering coats.  When I saw the skirt, featured below, I immediately thought of how chic this would look for a spring daytime event. 

The skirt is the attention-getter of the outfit, and I would allow the focus to remain there by pairing it with a neutral button-down blouse (a tie-neck blouse would look equally gorgeous).  If you're going to wear a button-down, though, keep it fresh by unbuttoning it to a reasonable level - too high and you'll ruin the effortless feel of the outfit.  Regarding the shoes - I am really, really pining for a pair of d'orsay pumps and this Sam Edelman pair is exactly what I've been looking for.  Trend has moved away from pointed-toe pumps to more rounded-toe designs, but a d'orsay pump will always be in style.