Basic Blazers

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I'm guest posting today over at Jeans and a Teacup. Stop on by to see the rest of this post. Happy Tuesday!

Sweet Steals

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When it comes to shopping, I am not usually one to spend a lot of money on a particular piece unless it is a handbag, or a pair of shoes. Being a mom with only a part time job, I like to try and challenge myself when it comes to shopping. I get so excited when I score a major find at a low price.

 Not too long ago I picked up these faux leather pants at Target in the clearance section. After struggling to find a comfortable pair (that fit), I couldn't pass them up. I can't recall how much I spent but I believe it was around twenty dollars.

I also found some cute navy patent leather sandals at Zara for only $10. Check their website regularly for some great markdowns.

Or what about these shoes that I got for only 6¢? Combining reward certificates with major sales can only work to your advantage. I take advantage of email lists for sales, reward programs at stores like DSW and Ulta, and coupons at Target. I'm not an extreme couponer by any means, but I love a good deal!

Think about shopping in an off-season. You can pick up some great pieces for a third of the original price if you are patient and take your time. 

Here are a few finds under fifty dollars that are just too good to pass up:

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Small accessories like belts and jewelry can make a big impact. Look for big markdowns (especially after Christmas) and stock up. Accessories play a huge part in giving an outfit a new twist. Take advantage of those sales to spice up your wardrobe!

Have a great day!

Baubles and Bags

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Do you remember when it was stylish to match your belt to your shoes? Or your shoes to your handbag? I love that pretty much all of the silly fashion rules have been thrown out of the window. It's fun to mix things up and forgo the old "matchy matchy" rule. However, there are times when I like the idea of matching colors, or at least pairing coordinating pieces together.

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Have a great day!

Chic for Cheap

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When it comes to shopping, I try my best to find reasonably priced items. With such inexpensive and fashionable places to shop like Forever 21, JCPenney, and Target (to name just a few), every woman can look great for low prices. For all of you budget-conscious women, I've put together a few outfits that are trendy and priced extremely well.

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You don't have to shell out a lot of money or buy designer pieces to be in style. You also no longer have to hunt through racks in stores to find cute pieces. As a busy mom and part-time dance teacher, I really don't have time to spend hours shopping. I love popping into a store and immediately seeing cute things at affordable prices.

Build Your Fall Wardrobe

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I don't know about you, but sometimes when I am shopping, I find myself buying a lot of one particular item. In my case, it is shirts. The ratio of shirts to bottoms in my closet is about 20/1. I am slowly trying to build a more balanced wardrobe so that I can easily mix pieces and create brand new looks each day. I have compiled a few basic items in each category if you are looking to do the same thing. These pieces can all work together and you will for sure find that you won't have to wear the same thing twice.

Tops:

• A white blouse is the key to any wardrobe. It can be worn so many ways and in every season of the year.
• You can never have too many white blouses. Picking one with a fun collar is a simple way to add interest to your outfit.
• Animal prints seem to be in style just about every single year. Having a blouse in a fun animal print can be an easy way to stay chic at the office and can transition to after-work drinks with friends.
• A chambray shirt is a classic piece that can be dressed up or down.
• A striped shirt is also a key basic. Stripes never go out of style and can be worn all year long.
• A sweater is a no-brainer for fall. Pick a light-weight fabric so you won't burn up before the really cold weather hits.

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• Full skirts look cute with bare legs or with tights in colder weather.
• A pencil skirt is a must for any woman's wardrobe.
• Pick a skirt in a fun print. I love to have at least one fun print hanging in my closet!

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I am definitely a jeans girl, but lately I have been trying to add pants and skirts to my wardrobe. Jeans are a staple, but try adding a basic black pair of pants and a bright color pair as well. Pick a wild (or feminine) print pant to your wardrobe too. Not everything needs to be a solid color!

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Jackets:

• Blazers are a great way to make a look appear more polished. Black is the first color I would suggest buying if you are looking for a blazer. Of course, adding a fun color (really any color will do) later on will only stretch your wardrobe even more.
• A denim jacket is a classic piece that will be in style forever. It's casual and easy to wear.
• A boucle jacket can be worn dressed up with a pencil skirt or can be dressed down with a pair of skinny jeans.
• A leather motorcycle jacket brings a bit of edge to any look.
• An army jacket would look great over a floral dress and ankle boots or would work well with jeans.

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Of course, no outfit is complete without a pair of shoes. I might have picked more in this category than in the others but a girl can never have too many shoes! 

Check back next week to see how these pieces can work together. Have a great day!

Booties For Fall: How To Wear Them

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I recently received a question from Mandy over at Orange Autumn asking how to wear booties for fall. There are so many different styles of ankle-cut boots out there so I thought I would devote a post on how to wear a few of them.

With boyfriend jeans, (see above) I like the idea of wearing a boot with a high heel. Since boyfriend jeans are slightly baggy in nature, I like to combat any frumpiness with a high heel. Wearing a boot that is low-cut on the ankle exposes just the right amount of skin on the leg.

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When wearing a dress, I like the look of a boot that just barely covers the ankle bone. 

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Above the ankle booties are cute but I think they can be tricky to wear. There is nothing cuter than a full skater-style skirt and tights in the colder months of the year. Really, any height boot (ankle-height) would look cute with tights and a full skirt. However, I think a high heel in whatever ankle version you pick would look best. 

Zipped Up

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I love how a zipper can take a piece of clothing from simple to edgy. A motorcycle jacket is already edgy in its nature, but add a few extra zippers and you have a cool piece. Downplay edgy pieces with feminine ones like a sequin skirt, or sandals with bows. 

Feeling Fall

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The weather is still pretty warm, but that hasn't stopped me from looking for fall pieces. These are a few pieces that I think will work well for in-between weather and even carry through into the winter. The Steve Madden boots are a recent purchase of mine on the recommendation of my sister. I had been looking for the perfect dark brown boots for the past few years, so when I saw these I knew I had to have them. 

I am loving the nude heels as well. I think a pair of nude heels is essential to any woman's wardrobe. They go with everything and you can wear them year round.

What pieces are on your fall must-have list?

Change of Season

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If you live in a warmer climate, fall tends to come a little later. The hottest months of the year where I live tend to be August and September. When it comes to clothing, you may not be willing to dress in long sleeves, pants and cute winter coats just yet. The two outfits I put together are great transitional pieces for those hot September days when the thought of pants is stifling. You can stay cool in a sleeveless top and still look somewhat appropriate for fall with the darker colors.

Basic Black

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I'm on the hunt for the perfect, basic black skirt. Fall is just around the corner and I am starting to plan my wardrobe. The above outfits are perfect examples of how a basic black skirt can go from summer to fall. Do you have a simple black skirt? How do you style it to take it from summer into fall?

Inspired By

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The floral trend is still going strong, as evidenced by the lovely top Emma Roberts wore. I love the feminine touch that a floral blouse brings to an ensemble. And an outfit with jeans? Doesn't get much better than that! I decided to put together two looks (a day and night) around the same sweet floral print blouse. While the snug fit of Emma's top is cute, I am loving the flow and ease of the top that I selected.

I hope you guys have a wonderful day!

What to Wear With...

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When I get dressed in the morning, I take into consideration how my hair will look with certain pieces. For instance, I have a denim romper that seems to only look good with a top knot. I've tried wearing my hair curly (my go-to hair style) with this piece but somehow the combination of denim and curly hair looks a little too 80s. Wearing it with a top knot seems to take the retro vibe away.

I put together several looks to go with three different hair styles. These are all looks that I think would work with the hair styles I've picked. Of course, some of these can be swapped around.

What is your favorite way to wear your hair? I'd love to know!

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Get the Look

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Olivia Palermo is one of my favorite style icons. I don't think I have ever seen her in a bad outfit. This photo was snapped as she was walking her dog. Cute, right? I'm pretty sure I would have been caught in workout attire and not this cute sweater and shorts.

I love putting together outfits for these 'Get the Look' posts. It's fun to create outfits inspired by ones seen on the street. However, when I think 'Get the Look,' only one image truly comes to mind:

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Zoolander was accused of only having one look (which made him very angry). Then came along 'blue steel' which changed the world of modeling as we know it. I just couldn't resist adding this. It is too funny. I hope you guys have a great weekend!

Best In Rompers

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For this post, I decided to focus on rompers, one of my favorite trends in fashion. I put together four different looks, each geared toward a particular style. The first set is inspired by a look that I wore a few weeks ago. You can read that post here.

I basically used accessories to define each style. If you thought you couldn't wear a romper, think again. There are many ways to style them and you can probably find a look that is right for you.

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Summer Destination: NYC

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Kira over at Rain or Shine is going to be traveling to New York this summer for a wedding. What a cool place to get married! I can only imagine how beautiful the wedding will be and how much fun she will have as she tours the city.

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I know if I was going to New York, I would be hitting the pavement HARD. Flats are a must when you are playing the part of a tourist. Just make sure you break in your shoes before you go. 

Have a fabulous weekend everyone, and have a blast in NYC Kira!

Summer Destination

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My good friend Katie over at The Catholic Wife was the first to respond when I came up with the idea of creating outfit sets inspired by the summer vacation plans of my readers. Her family lives in Nebraska so she will soon be making the long drive from Louisiana with her husband and two little boys. (Our toddlers are buddies and our almost 8 month old boys are sure to be friends as well.)

I created two looks that would be appropriate for hanging out with friends and family. Wearing sandals is a must in the summer. Especially when you plan to be outdoors chasing your little boy around. (Of course, she could just make her husband do the chasing while she sits and relaxes....right Katie?)

I created the second look for a lunch date with friends. Wearing jeans shouldn't be too hot, as long as the lunch date happens indoors. Bright colors in the top, jeans, belt, and shoes guarantee that this lunch date look is a stylish one.

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Of course, no trip would be complete without at least one date night. I know my girl loves navy and yellow so I couldn't resist putting together a look with those colors.

It was fun coming up with outfit ideas for my friend. If you are interested in having me put together an outfit inspired by your upcoming summer vacation destination, hurry and email me!

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Trends: Two in One

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One of my favorite things right now is combining trends. There are so many pieces out there that combine some of the hottest trends. I've picked just a few to show you. (There are so many more!)

The items pictured above would be very easy to wear if simple styling was used. I am loving the peplum dress with the neon trim. What a great way to be on-trend without having to put forth much effort. 

These two-in-one pieces are great for those of you who have a hard time mixing trends. Maybe you aren't sure what goes with what. (Let's face it...we all have that moment where we put something on and wonder if it works.) In this case, the work has been done for you! 

One Item, Two Looks

Y'all have probably realized by now that I like to take a single item and create multiple looks around it. This time I picked a pair of mint shorts and created two looks. Since I am not quite tired of the pastel trend yet, I went in that direction for both looks. 

The first look is casual but still slightly dressier than its counterpart. The lace collar and high heel give this would-be casual look a bit of elegance. Since color blocking is not limited to bright or primary colors, I decided to use a pink clutch in the first look.

The second look is a bit more casual and has an 'edgy' vibe to it. The spike earrings and studded clutch give this look a slightly harder feel. (Which I think looks cool against a soft color palette.) Even the shoes have embellishment around the ankle straps to give this look more texture.

Of course I would wear both of these looks. Which is your favorite?

                                                    * Product Review *

I love to change my beauty products every now and then. For the longest time I was using an eyeshadow primer by Mary Kay. It was fine but when I ran out, I went to Ulta to find something else. As you know, there are tons of primers out there but I picked up  Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

Unlike my last primer, this primer is actually flesh colored. I squeeze out a tiny amount (a little bit goes a long way) and dab over my entire lid. I like to wait a minute or two to let it dry before I apply my shadow.

I really love this primer. I've noticed that when I use it, my shadow seems to look vibrant and it really pops. Using this primer also helps to keep my shadow in place all day. The other day I put my make-up on around 6:30 in the morning, worked out (yes, I wear make-up to work out), and by 8:00 that night it was still vibrant looking.

I wish I could tell you how long I have had it. I want to say that I have had it for at least a year. (It could actually be longer but I'm just not sure.) Let's just say that it lasts a long time and I think it is completely worth your money.

Get the Look

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Did you know that super model Miranda Kerr was born in 1983? When I read that, I was very surprised. Not that she looks old by any means! I just can't believe that she is the same age as my baby sister. I don't know what it is, but the older I get, the more I deny that it is happening. When I was a kid, I wished that I would hurry and grow up, get married, etc. Now suddenly I am grown up and I wonder, "When did that happen?"

This post is really about Miranda Kerr's cool take on a t-shirt and jeans combo...not my coming to terms with aging. Perhaps it is her super long limbs that makes this simple outfit look so chic. Perhaps it is the combination of her sleek ballerina bun and bright red pumps that takes this outfit from basic to chic. Either way, she looks great and I thought I would put together an outfit that you can easily copy.

The first look (left) is the copy cat version of her look. The second look is inspired by her look but is color blocked and more appropriate for summer. Which look do you like? 

Saturday Steals

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1. Earrings - $11

2. Necklace - $14

3. Earrings - $8

4. Clutch - $23

5. Earrings - $14

6. Clutch - $17

7. Earrings - $9

8. Sandals - $15

9. Sandals - $17

10. Sandals - $17

Have a great weekend!