OOTD- Day to Night in Stripes

One important element in packing light, is maximizing the items you do take with you. I had to make sure all of my outfits could fit several occasions with just a few quick changes. So once I pried myself away from that cool breeze and the relaxing sounds of the waves:

I took this outfit perfect for taking a stroll to the mall for a little browsing (okay, maybe a little bit of shopping too) and lunch:

and very easily turned it into an outfit befitting of a late night sushi dinner and cocktails. All I needed were some different shoes and a clutch:

Multi-tasking outfits might not be so hard to tackle!!

Are you an over-packer or usually take just enough?

Outfit Details:

Square half-tint sunglasses- House of Harlow "Charlotte" (available here)

Striped sheer blouse- Equipment (available in medium here)

Red ankle pants- Forever 21 (similar here, here, and here)

Black sandals- LOFT (available here)

Taupe quilted bucket bag- vintage

Silver open-toe wedges- Michael Michael Kors (similar here on sale, cute alternative with a bow here, lower wedge alternative here)

Black/red zipper clutch- Curly in the City (check Etsy shop for restock)

Back to Reality....Soon

My honey and I spent a nice, long weekend in Ft. Lauderdale and sadly our fun in the sun has come to an end. Oh, how I cried to leave this view behind:

Seriously, I can still feel that breeze!!

Now, I don't know about you guys, but airport dressing is a bit of a stressful fashion occasion. How do you stay chic, feel comfortable and not be a hot mess when you reach your destination? It seems like celebrities don't have quite the same issue:

(Source)

So I took a page from their book and just kept it simple.

A simple maxi dress for the hot weather, mixed with a blazer for the cool airplane temps equaled easy peasy, ready for a getaway. I added some dangly earrings for interest and although this outfit is a little too simple for my liking, a leopard belt was added later because no outfit is complete without some rowr.


What's your airport dressing formula? Do you find dressing for a vacation stressful?

Outfit Details:

White blazer and orange maxi dress- Forever 21 (pretty dress alternative here, short and tiered alternative here, plus size alternative here) (similar blazer here and here, alternative here)

Brown wedges- Dolce Vita for Target (on sale here)

"Desert Sand" earrings- JewelMint (sold out, but check out JewelMint if you haven't already)

I'll Be By The Pool

Taking a long weekend to have some fun in the sun. Thanks to Blogger's uncooperativeness and my lack of techie know-how, I can't share my pics. Follow me on Twitter for some updates (if I can pry the Iphone from the bf's hand)! See you guys next week with new outfit updates and some dressing room pics.

OOTD- A Touch of Leopard Never Hurts

I felt like it was time for my green blazer to make another appearance. I seriously heart this blazer and want to wear it often. Don't you just love those kind of clothing finds?

I remember spying this particular dress in a magazine thinking how utterly feminine and cute it was and when I found it in the store, I instantly headed for the register to make it my own. Unfortunately, I've only worn it once before and it sits all lonely in my closet. And then my magical green blazer saved the day by adding some depth that I think keeps this dress from going to the Sunday church outfit territory. And then a little bit of leopard never hurts either.

Outfit Details:

Dress- I "Heart" Ronson (similar here, here

Green blazer- Zara (same here)

Brown belt- thrifted

Leopard flats- Magnolia (adorable alternative here, similar here, more casual alternative here)

Lilac studded bag- Spotted Moth (available here)

White studded bracelet- Forever 21 (similar here)

OOTD- That's Quite a Statement!!

Did you guys see that bling around my neck?? I've been on the hunt for some good statement jewelry pieces and that's exactly what I got. I saw it on the website and thought it was really pretty. I got it in the mail yesterday and had to say, "self, you really need to start paying attention to the dimensions." It was a little (okay, a lot) bigger than I thought.

To give this necklace all of the attention it deserves, I kept my outfit rather simple; minus a bit of pop in the top. If I fiind anything in hot pink, chances are I'll gravitate towards it like a fly to the picnic table. :) 

What color are you constantly picking up when you go in stores?

Outfit Details:

Blue blazer- Priorities

Hot pink top- vintage (Ebay find) (similar here)

Gray cotton pants- Theory

Burgundy flats- Vera Wang Lavender (available here in other colors)

Pendant necklace- Forever 21 (available here)

Handbag- Louis Vuitton Speedy

OOTD- A Bouquet of Flowers

I spotted this blazer on ASOS's website awhile back and thought  "hmm, a flower blazer, this would definitely be different." But now that it is in my closet, I feel like I could fit right in with The Golden Girls. With quite a few years left before retiring to Florida for some shuffleboard, I've been trying to figure out ways to make it look a bit younger. I think this outfit I created was a pretty good step with bright color, pairing it with something tighter might be the way to go next time. A sexy Herve Leger bandage dress is certainly out of the question and budget, so I'm thinking a little hot pink number is in its future. Surely, not even Blanche would wear a flowy floral blazer with short shorts? Or would she??

 

Outfit Details:

Flower blazer- ASOS (limited sizes available here)

Blue/white tank- Madewell

Blue pants- J Crew

Orange belt- Target

Orange handbag- Rebecca Minkoff MAM in Tangerine (available here)

Tan platform pumps- Miu Miu

Blue studded bracelet- Target

OOTD-What Can Brown Do For You?

When I was a teenager, black was probably my favorite color to wear. I wasn't a goth kid or anything, but my mother couldn't stand that this was my preferred color palette; however what could you expect from a yellow and orange lover? But just as the seasons change, you can be sure taste changes which is how I've embraced so much color into my wardrobe and even wear things like brown.

To keep from looking like a big block of blah, I added just a bit of interest with this statement of a necklace and one of my fancy purses. When I was 29, I was determined to have a Chanel purse by my 30th bday, but that wasn't really going to happen when I wasn't saving up for it. What was I thinking? But lo and behold, I took a trip to my favorite consignment shop one weekend and what did I spy on the shelves. A Chanel!!!! Granted it was sadly thrown around by its previous owner and needed a good cleaning, but at the price it was, I couldn't let it go. We only go out on the rare occasion, but she sure is a lot of fun!

Is there any item on your fashion bucket list??? 

Outfit Details:

Tan wrap top- Velvet (similar here in short-sleeve)

Brown shorts- Land's End (thrifted) (similar here on sale and in other colors)

Tan boat shoes- Target (similar here; these are the most comfortable shoes ever!!!)

White printed belt- J Crew (similar here)

Shield necklace- Forever 21 (available here)

Pink handbag- Chanel (rent similar here at BBOS, similar style here in tan, similar here in faux leather)

Bloggers Do It Better- Neon + Neutral = Kapow

Pretty Shiny Sparkly's new blogger challenge for creating an outfit around neon and neutrals is right up my alley. I instantly knew what I wanted to wear and I have Blake Lively to thank.

This outfit was featured inside of Glamour magazine's July 2011 issue. I was instantly smitten. I adore the pink and champagne colors of this outfit. That sweater looks unbelievable soft and although those shorts are borderline lingerie, they are just too darn pretty. The bad news is I don't have $1180 to spend on any outfit, let alone this one; the good news is, I did have the components to create my own look.

White/cream/ivory shorts are a whole new territory for me, but I think it, along with the brown accessories, help to ground the intensity of this super bright neon tee. I can't wait to figure out new ways to incorporate a little neon into some fun and work-appropriate outfits. What's better than creating your own personal glow??

Do you go high-impact or low wattage with neon??

Check out all of the other fashionable bloggers take on this trend here!!

 

Outfit Details:

Neon pink tee- J. Crew (similar here)

Ivory eyelet shorts- H&M (similar here, here, and skirt version here)

Brown wedges- Dolce Vita for Target (available here)

Brown quilted handbag- Rebecca Minkoff Affair (available here in black, similar faux leather version here)

OOTD- Gotta Get This Bird Off My Chest

It's an attack of the pretty birds!!!! I have to confess that I really don't like birds: Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds terrified me, they fly way to close to people's heads and let's not talk about the popping on you while flying. Despite my displeasure for the real things, I couldn't pass up this dress. It's equal parts ladylike in shape and whimsical in design; a sophisticated article of clothing that doesn't take itself to seriously. Perfection!

I picked up this ribbon over the weekend and had intentions of creating a cute ankle tie for some shoes, but that didn't quite work out because the picture in my head didn't match what the shoe actually looked like. How could I not know what my shoes look like? I've had them for over a year! It was a good thing I really looked at the print on this dress and saw dots on the little birds. That previous unnecessary ribbon purchased turned out to be the perfect outfit topper.

Outfit Details:

Bird dress- Erin Fetherston (bird print dress in size 8 here)

Black cardigan- Kenzie

Black pumps- Hot in Hollywood (available here)

Polka dot ribbon belt- Michaels (similar available here)

Medallion necklace- Forever 21 (similar here and here)

OOTD- You're a Crafty Little Vest

You guys, I love myself some tweed and was happy to score this blazer at the thrift store several weeks ago:

But tweed with pastel colors just conjure up images of an Easter outfit or something a much more, shall we say, mature woman might wear. I haven't discovered a way to make such a tweed color pattern look a lot chic and hip. So, I got a little scissor happy and made it something a bit more wearable.

This I can handle!! I'll admit that I'm not the most diy kind of gal (and it's a good thing you can't inspect the inside), but hopefully sometime in the future I can have a designated sewing space to get creative. My next project is to make a few friendship bracelets.

I like the way this outfit turned out. I added some extra pattern and color all around. And I would like to note that my bf is so proud of himself for putting me together since he picked the top and told me to change my shoes, lol. He claimed the ones I had on before were boring and these blue babies added a nicely needed pop. What do you think, does he have abilities to be my assistant stylist??? :)

Outfit Details:

Tweed "vest"- Kasper (thrifted)

Blue/white tank- H&M

Gray ankle jeans- J Brand

Purple clutch- Rebecca Minkoff (similar available here)

Blue suede pumps- Zara (really good alternative here)

Cat eye sunglasses- Forever 21 (available here)

Bracelets (top to bottom)- Gorjana (available here in lots of colors, Accessories and Beyond (available here in silver metal, Forever 21 (available in silver here)

OOTD- Let's All Cheer

I'm cheering for Friday in that first picture, won't you join me!!! I have delusions that I could have been a cheerleader despite the fact that I can't do a split and my cartwheel is a little bit sad (okay, tremendously sad).

I've had this blazer in my closet for some time now and this is my first time wearing it, despite the fact that I love it and even came up with a ton of outfits for it. I can't help but wonder the reason behind that weird fashion behavior. Anyway, this linen blazer paired with the thinnest of tanks was a fantastic way of keeping "cool" in this heat wave here, but now I wonder what else can I do to stay melt-free? What if I don't want to wear a dress? What if I miss wearing my jeans? Do I dare test the office dress code by putting on my bermuda shorts? I can't be one of those gals you see come to the office looking totally inappropriate (dress with the back all out and the wrong bra, loud flip-flops, borderline too short skirts/dresses that are just barely ending underneath the butt; you know who I'm talking about!!).

What are your tips for being appropriate, both for the office and the scorching heat??

Outfit Details:

Gray/taupe tribal blazer and black shield necklace- Forever 21 (top in similar pattern here)

White tank- H&M

Black skinny ankle pants- Zara (similar here)

Purple suede sandals- Loeffler Randall (available here)

Studded lilac handbag- Spotted Moth (available here)

Sunglasses- House of Harlow "Charlotte" (available here)

OOTD- You Look Like Something I Used To Know

I saw this dress in one of the Sunday circulars and instantly knew I had to check it out in person. It reminded me of a Proenza Schouler for Target dress that I loved and never purchased, even when it was re-released (see #3). I still kind of kick myself for that one since Proenza Schouler was one of my favorite Target designer collaborations. Oh well, this little number will do just nicely, especially when it kept me semi-cute despite the fact that my face started melting in the heat this morning. Although this wasn't what I originally wanted to wear this morning, a lack of time and the need to wear some color created a wardrobe change. I don't think I've shown these kelly green shoes before and that might have something to do with them sitting in a shoe box for a good part of a year. Tsk, tsk, for staring at that box everyday and not reaching for it. I guess these babies were just waiting for this outfit.

Outfit Details:

Pink/purple dress- Target (available here)

Gray cardigan- BCBG

Lilac belt and pink studded bracelet- J. Crew

Lilac studded handbag- Spotted Moth (available here)

Green pointy pumps- Sugar (similar here in limited sizes)

Shades- Ray-Ban (available here)

"Unlock My Hear" chain necklace- JewelMint (available here)

OOTD- Striped Up

In an effort to create outfits around this challenging striped top, I came up with the idea to try it with some pattern. I think I might be getting the hang of this mixing business! Since the tee and chambray pants are pretty casual elements, I figured some jazzing up was in order. My crystal necklace and quilted handbag did the trick (I swore to the bf that this was my last bag purchase for the year, fingers crossed I actually stick to it). Although, I felt like this look could have used some structure, probably in the way of a blazer, it has become way too hot for that to be feasible. All in all, I think this striped tee might be a keeper after all.

Have you ever hesitantly purchased something that ended up being one of your favorite things to wear? What was it?

Outfit Details:

Striped tee- H&M

Chambray pants- J. Crew outlet (similar here and here)

Cloth belt and crystal necklace- J. Crew (both via Ebay)

Cat-eye sunglasses- Forever 21 (available here)

Tan sandals- Belle by Sigerson Morrison (similar here)

Brown quilted chain-link handbag- Rebecca Minkoff Quilted Affair (available here in other colors)