spring accessory report!

This time of year you, me and your best friend are all stocking up on shorts, stripes, tanks and tees... but what about the finishing touches?  Here I rounded up the top trends for spring and summer that I am loving and that seem to be everywhere lately.

Keep in mind  bright colors, textures and easy of use for handbags this spring & summer... Make sure you snatch up totes for all your picnic and beach swag and on the other end of the spectrum you'll need small clutches or cross-body bags for summer evenings and to pair with your favorite sundresses.

(above: orange cross-body, blue cross-body, woven tote - SWOON!, leopard clutch, "viva" tote)

This seasons trends are all about pastels, Bling!, neon, and neutrals.  There is no need to resist bold colors and fun pieces to pair with your favorite spring and summer dresses.  Pastels bring neutrals like stripes and navy in to the season and also make sure to have some fun neutral pieces on hand to wear in between!

(above: peach/pink necklace, mint/green necklace, bling necklace, marquis hoops, neon bracelet, neon earrings, gold coral earrings, gold cuff)

Make sure you have all the necessary shoe styles on hand... beach ready sandals, a pair of classic wedges, laser cut sandals - super hot right now!, a casual pair of kicks and a bright pair of flats! 

(above: flip flops, black sandals, pink flats, wedges, sneakers)

bejeweled: my love affair with costume jewelry!

I absolutely love 'costume' jewelry... fun little baubles can instantly spruce up an outfit and make me feel extra dolled up on a special occasion or can just make a regular day feel like a special occasion.  Here is my collection... I keep a number of pieces on display in my bedroom as shown here... I also keep some in my closet (check my closet post out here!).

Usually what I keep out in this space is what is on regular rotation.  It's so fun to stand here each morning and choose what I will adorn my outfit with!

Never underestimate the power that a small bobble can have on an outfit and on your mood!  And it's usually a very inexpensive way to spruce up your wardrobe.  Here are some pieces I am loving...

GOLD

(above: sunglasses, ring, earrings, necklace, watch, bangle bracelet)

BOLD

(above: watch, green earrings, bangle bracelets, necklace, clutch, turquoise earrings, sunglasses)

NEUTRAL

(above: dangle earrings, feather ring, peach bracelet, tortoise earrings, wood bangle, flower pin, necklace)

But don't feel like you have to stick with one style or theme... that's what makes accessories so fun - you can go for a little bit of everything!

my outfit: muster!

Well folks... I do believe I am on the mend, but after a whole weekend in bed - I am only at about 50%. I'm not going to go into it all... but it's frustrating. What I WILL go into though is a HUGE thanks to you all for your kind comments and well wishes. I really do appreciate it. They make me happy.


Yesterday it was totally back to business after my son had had a long weekend from school (my kids are so over "let's stay home and snuggle today guys!") and it was back to school/preschool for the kiddos and "work" for me. So I figured I better put some clothes on. I grabbed the five coziest things I was in the mood for (beside my husband's socks and yoga pants with a wife-beater tank - which is seriously what I have been wearing for about four days straight) and this was it.


The good thing about being sick is that I have lost about 5 pounds in the past month... although I totally didn't need to or want to. The bad thing is that when I get my taste buds back and I start working out again my metabolism is going to go nuts and likely I won't be able to stop eating.


The other good news is that I have a rock solid reminder from above on why not to take each day and my health for granted. Seriously... I would do anything for "normal" right about now. My bathrooms (and really the whole house!) would agree!

So what is going on in the world that I have been missing out on? Do tell!

Details:

Jacket, courtesy of Tulle

Scarf, World Market (similar)

Top, Gap (similar)

Jeans, Gap (similar)

Boots, UGG

check it out: spooky jewelry!

This isn't my usual style... but it's hard to not get into the spooky spirit of Halloween! If I had an adult party to go to it would be super fun to sport some of these super spooky jewelry pieces! I'm just doing the kid stuff this year though. What about you? Are you dressing up at all for Halloween?


Skull Ring, Asos, $17.24


Jessica Kagan Cushman Cuff, Max & Chloe, $170


Betsey Johnson Skull Earrings, Macy's, $40


Alkemie Spiderweb Ring, Shopbop, $155


Betsey Johnson Spider Statement Necklace, Piperlime, $150

Bwhahahaha! Stay spooky!

my outfit: au naturale!

Something about the combo of this leaf necklace, the swingy cardi and curly hair and I'm feeling good in my skin. I would own a million flowy sweaters like this one (that is, if I had the money and the closet space). So comfortable and simple for the usual busy-ness that life brings. And these clogs, I mean... are you sick of them yet? I wear them pretty much every day. I just LOVE them.

Kendi had a great post on perfectionism and blogging and it really rang true to me - and likely many other bloggers that put their "real life" out for all to see (judge, critique and otherwise). I do it for you and me in what is usually a healthy balance... but sometimes it makes me second guess myself. Will they be sick of this top, do they hate these jeans, what about the clogs, do they think they are silly????? And the mind-talk goes on and on and on. But through all that I need to remember to be true to myself. I hope you like my true self... but if you don't I have to be fine with that too.


Is perfectionism something you battle with? It can be tough to overcome... I know I go through phases with it. Where nothing is good enough and I am easily down on myself.


But isn't that such a waste of time? We should be focusing on the amazing things we can and do accomplish and the amazing life we live - not the lack of. Somehow this post took a serious turn... but it's true.

To lighten things up a bit... I have eluded to a little Vegas trip I have coming up. And Jackie over at Sweetie Pie Pumpkin Noodle spilled the beans on her blog yesterday - She and I have a fabulous little blogger meet-up planned in Vegas this weekend! How fun is that? My husband goes for work every fall and I tag along and she and I happened to be emailing back and forth about a way to meet in person. I suggested she and her husband meet us there - since it's in her (relative) neck of the woods and voila! Everything worked out and we are set to finally meet and hang out this weekend! I couldn't be MORE excited! Of course we will fill you all in on our shopping, sunning and sipping of cocktails together when we return! I still have to pack and do a million-trillion things before leaving, but I am so excited to meet my long time blogging buddy!

Details:

Cardi, Pure & Simple (similar)

Necklace, courtesy of Linkel Designs

T-Shirt, JCrew (similar)

Jeans, Seven for all Mankind

Clogs, UGG

Bracelets, Charlotte Russe (similar)

pretty little things...

Lately I have been admiring boho style more and more... in general my style is more tailored or classic. I don't tend towards the whimsical and flowy... except for lately. I seem to be craving loose and flowing tops, florals, fringe and the like.

Here's some beautiful examples:

Topshop Feather One Shoulder Top

Jeffrey Campbell Clogs

Linea Pelle Vintage Hobo

Marlyn Schiff Tear Drop Earrings

Forever 21 Draped Knit Tunic

Do you think it's just a phase? Do you ever crave clothing that is not your "usual" style?

good look for less, EXPRESS!

I've got another good look for less EXPRESS consult for you today! Jennifer is a nurse that spends tons of hours in scrubs... when she's off work she wants a classic, preppy and practical wardrobe that is easy to pull together but still very stylish. She's a self-proclaimed clothes horse (nothing wrong with that!) and admitted that she has most of the basics, but just wanted more ideas on pulling together outfits quickly.

What I worked to do for Jennifer was pull together "ideas" for outfits... and to keep in mind that the actually pieces could be swapped out for items that she already owns.

This first look is a classic outfit to pull together. A day dress, with a jean jacket and boots. The specific items I pulled here are gorgeous, but you could easily swap them out for pieces in your closet already - that is Jennifer, or any one else reading this!

(dress, jean jacket, boots, earrings, tote)

In keeping with that theme... I really love this outfit. But if you look at the individual pieces of it, it's really quite basic. A great pair of jeans, a boyfriend cardi, belt and flats. If you are a busy lady, it's great to have looks like this in your arsenal to quickly pull on!

(belt, jeans, t-shirt, cardigan, tote, moccasins)

One of my favorite silhouettes for fall and winter is skinny or straight jeans with an oversized or super chunky sweater. It's not only practical (warm!) but it is also very flattering to most body types, especially when the top has a longer profile like this one.

(bracelet, jeans, top, clutch, sweater vest, flats)

~~~

Best wishes Jennifer!

Interested in my wardrobe consultation services? Click here!

my outfit: blazer & tennies!

I am endlessly inspired by JCrew - and although that seems so cliche these days it doesn't make it less true. JCrew is just very inspiring lately... especially for refined casual wear. Which is right up my alley. I love to spend time perusing their catalogs and inspirations online. The gal on their landing page had-me-at-hello with this outfit. Blazer + tennies? Sure!


So I thought I would recreate something similar from what I already owned...


Do you think that JCrew would mind being called the number one knocked off looks of 2010? Because I glean a lot of inspiration from them. It's likely better than "most knocked off watch" or "most knocked off purse." Inspiration is much better knocked off than real brand names. No?



I digress... any way, on first glance it seemed like the sweet JCrew lady above was leaping. So I tried to "knock" that off as well. Turns out one should look before they leap, err, knock off. On second glance I think she is just standing on her super tippy toes and on first glance I think I look crazy. Pretty sure.

But who doesn't love a little crazy now and then?

Details:

Blazer, Gap (similar)

Scarf, Cost Plus World Market (similar)

Tee, Target (similar)

Jeans, F21 (similar)

Belt, Gap

Tennies, Superga (I got mine at GILT for cheaper!)

my outfit: fall preview (more!)

This past weekend I spent a rainy morning raiding my closet and getting excited about fall... I played "dress up" big time to get a feel for what I already had in my closet for fall before I got TOO excited about buying more for fall. I think the 30/30 Challenge has made me more disciplined (success!). My fall shopping list seems about a mile long... not good. I wanted to dig into what I had first to make sure it didn't get shoved to the back of the closet with the new. This week I'll show you all my fun "existing" fall looks - then hopefully in the coming weeks I'll mix in some new as well!

~~~

The fall outfits continue...

Is there anything better than a cardi/cami combo? I think not... there are a million variations and it's a great way to work your summer pieces into fall and beyond. I just loved this outfit... it was comfortable and easy to wear. I definitely want to stock up on some more cardi's this fall to make outfits like these continue to be a go-to in my wardrobe.



As I mentioned above... I spent a whole morning putting together all of the outfits I featured here this week. It really does help to carve out some time and really go through clothes, trying them on and mixing and matching them. When you are not in the "what am I going to wear... I have two minutes to decide" flurry that often happens in the mornings it can give you a fresh perspective on what you own. I felt like I got re-acquinted with my fall clothes and tried combinations that I wouldn't have thought of otherwise. This is a perfect example. It's two pieces that I have had in my closet for a while, but never paired them.



This camisole/top is one I got after I had my second babe... it was just flowy enough to hide the jelly belly post-pregnancy when I went back to work. It works well with a blazer too. I hadn't worn it in a while, but I just love the pattern!

Details:
Jeans, F21
Top, Old Navy
Cardigan, Target
Necklace, Estate Sale
Wedges, Target


Steal this look:

Cardigans by J.Crew
Wedges by Blowfish

my outfit: fall preview!

This past weekend I spent a rainy morning raiding my closet and getting excited about fall... I played "dress up" big time to get a feel for what I already had in my closet for fall before I got TOO excited about buying more for fall. I think the 30/30 Challenge has made me more disciplined (success!). My fall shopping list seems about a mile long... not good. I wanted to dig into what I had first to make sure it didn't get shoved to the back of the closet with the new. This week I'll show you all my fun "existing" fall looks - then hopefully in the coming weeks I'll mix in some new as well!

~~~

This is a perfect casual fall outfit. I am still debating having the tailor take these pants in at the leg a bit... slimmer cargos are more popular this season and I don't see myself actually buying a new pair of cargos - so it may be worth the $10 to have these spruced up a bit. Otherwise they are fun rolled up too. Do you love cargos for fall? See how I styled them up in the fall looks:book!

On an extra chilly day this would be perfect with a cozy scarf or denim jacket. I just LOVE these UGG clogs, I never want to take them off!


Instead of layering necklaces... I just layered some bracelets this time. I just loooove accessories. I have them on my fall shopping list too. I can't wait to hit Charlotte Russe and Forever 21 for more bracelets, necklaces and more. What would I do without those two stores?

Details:

Wrap Sweater, JCrew

Cargos, Old Navy

Clogs, UGG

Bracelets, Forever 21

Necklace, Forever 21

Steal this look!

Cardigans by J.Crew
Mules & Clogs by UGG