Holiday Gift Giving Guide
Last year’s Gift Giving Guide separated out the types of individuals we tend to shop for – Host & Hostess gifts as well as presents for the fashionistas, health & fitness nerds, and foodies on your holiday gift list. This season so many of the bloggers that I follow have already put together great lists so I thought it would be fun to collect all of their fabulous suggestions and put together a master list.
Enjoy!
Carolines Mode’s Christmas Gift Ideas is the perfect list for an oh-so-stylish sister or girlfriend and includes notepads, designer lingerie, chic jewelry, and perfume.
Feeling extravagant? Moda Operandi’s Gift Guide: Extravagant Gestures isn’t for the faint of heart – believe me – and includes unbelievable gift ideas like custom designed snowboards, couture dresses, jewelry boxes, and one-of-a-kind homewares.
If you’re not sure what to get that special woman in your life – whether it’s your wife, your sister, or your mother – Harper’s Bazaar is here to help. Their Editors’ Choice: The Best Holiday Gifts is a great collection of ideas including clothing, jewelry, accessories, beauty products, flowers, art, and even chic china patterns!
If you have a friend or family member who is a gym rat or health obsessed than check out FitSugar’s list of Best Fitness Gadgets of 2012 which includes great finds like eco-friendly water bottles, new fitness gear, workout DVDs, and high-tech headphones & monitoring systems.
Could I Have That? has put together a great list and her Holiday Gift Guide: Black & White includes pillows, piggy banks, and fabulous moustache adorned coffee mugs – perfect gifts for one and all.
If edible gifts are more your style be sure to look through the list that Teen Vogue put together – 12 Gourmet Gifts for Foodies – and charm your friends with specialty desserts, quirky cooking tools, and creative cookbooks.
Not sure what to get your host or hostess for an upcoming dinner, holiday party, or weekend away? Check out Moda Operandi’s Be Our Guest for a fabulous collection of gifts that will fit the bill perfectly.
For a well-rounded collection of ideas check out The Subtle Statement’s Holiday Gift Guide – This list includes everything from accessories and electronics to pajamas and serving dishes. You’re sure to find something for that special someone!
And fear not, if you’re on a budget, there are still plenty of choices out there that your friends and family will love. Check 0ut Freckles In April’ Gift Guide: $5 and Under! and Cupcakes & Cashmere’s Holiday Gift Guide – Under $25.
What’s on my holiday wish list? To be honest, I did so much shopping over the past week that I cannot think of a single thing that I actually need let alone want. If you’re curious about what I’ve picked out for myself – See below! 🙂
{Top Left: Betsey Johnson Faux Fur Lined Belted Cape from Macys, Top Right: C-Label Elaine 6 from Piperlime, Bottom Left: Shift Dresses from BCBGeneration & Bottom Right: Boxes coming in from ASOS, Saks, Bloomingdale’s…}
Happy shopping everyone!
Stars & Stripes
Whether you’re in the mood to celebrate America’s Independence Day or just the fact that you’re (hopefully) getting a day off, here are some fun, festive ideas, photos, and links to get you in the mood – From too cute for words patriotic pieces to creative recipes that are as pretty as they are delicious
Listing…
Everyone seems to be in the mood for lists right now. A handful of bloggers that I adore have published list posts lately: The Life & Lessons of Rachel Wilkerson’s What I’ve Been Eating, What I’ve Been Reading, What I’ve Been Writing, What I’ve Been Wearing, Holly Would If She Could’s 16 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Me, and SnackFace’s This Week’s Sounds, Scents, Sips, Snacks & Sights…
And with my hectic schedule lately, both at work and personally, I’ve been living and dying by my daily To Do lists. First thing in the morning I make a list of all the things that need to get done that day and before I leave the office for the day I take the list of tasks and put them in chronological order. Don’t worry, I’m not going to share my daily To Do lists with you. I thought I’d take a cue from my blogging idols though and share some of the details of what’s going on in my life these days.
What I’ve Been Eating:
I didn’t do a great job following a healthy diet in April or May, as I confessed, so I’ve been doing my best to rectify that over the last few weeks. Tons of fruits and veggies, and smoothies galore. Green smoothies, berry-based smoothies, and even peanut butter smoothies. Yum!
What I’ve Been Reading:
My boyfriend’s mother insisted that I read The Botticelli Secret by Marina Fiorato, and I ended up reading all 544 pages over the course of a weekend because I couldn’t put it down. Botticelli’s Primavera has been my favorite painting of his since I saw it in Florence when I was 21 so I was especially drawn to the storyline. I’ve also just finished Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think by Brian Wansink and was stunned by how much I related to each and every study that he discussed. Definitely keep an eye out for a Book Report on this! I’ve also just started Add More -Ing to Your Life: A Hip Guide to Happiness by Gabrielle Bernstein, which isn’t a self-help book – I swear – it’s a self-transformation book. 🙂 I’m looking forward to seeing how it impacts my daily approach to life as part of my #1 2012 goal to Be Positive.
Oh, and I have a serious fashion magazine problem. Like a – I need a 12 step program type of problem.
What I’ve Been Writing:
One of my goals for 2012 is to publish a piece of my writing and while this has been a personal goal for years, this is the first time I’ve officially written it down. Not to make excuses, but as a result of my spinal injury and my laptop dying earlier this year, I haven’t worked on this goal much so far in 2012. Hopefully this post will serve as motivation for me to start editing my first novel, I started writing it when I was 20 and wrote a large chunk of it while I was traveling around Europe by myself when I was 21.
What I’ve Been Wearing:
During May I submitted a handful of looks to a fashion challenge run by Definitely RA, you can so you can check out some of those looks – Mission: Put Together 2012 – Part I and Mission: Put Together 2012 – Part II. The challenge was great and I wish I’d had time to participate more, but even putting together a few looks was fun. And as part of my goals for June I wanted to make an effort to wear less black, especially on sunny weekends, so that’s been a major factor in choosing my daily looks. Definitely an adjustment not to automatically reach for the black pieces!
Some Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Me:
- I don’t actively follow astrology but I’ve always believed that I embody many of the traits of my Scorpio sign – Determined, loyal, suspicious, discreet, introverted, dramatic, passionate, possessive…
- I originally hurt my back springboard diving in college when I was 18
- If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life it would be sweet potatoes. There’s an endless number of ways to cook them… Chips, fries, baked, mashed, in pudding. They can be sweet or savory. Hmmm… Now I kind of want to spend a weekend eating only sweet potatoes and blog about all the recipes I come up with! 🙂
- Sometimes I forget that I don’t really “know” bloggers. I begin to feel like I’m friends with people whose lives I read about every day. Does that happen to anyone else?
- I have three tattoos.
And so that we can continue to get to know each other, I’m going to re-start my short-lived Les Confessions series, where I post some “confessions” about myself and my life on a regular basis.
Sounds:
I’ve been listening to 70’s and 80’s music non-stop. From vintage Bon Jovi, Kenny Loggins, and Twisted Sister to fabulous 80’s movie soundtracks – Footloose, Pretty In Pink, Breakfast Club. The upside is that it’s really upbeat music that wakes me up and makes me smile every morning, the downside is that I dance at my desk. A lot.
Scents:
I’m a peppermint junkie! Candles, air fresheners, essential oils… Whatever I can find. I’ve also been baking up a storm and I love the scent of raw cacao and carob powders as their heating up.
Sips:
Peppermint tea – duh – and I have to confess that my guilty pleasure these days is Cherry Coke Zero or Cherry Diet Dr. Pepper. My boyfriend is horrified by the red color from the syrup but I treat myself to one a week! I’ve also rediscovered the Synergy Kombucha drinks, and I laugh every time I get carded buying them!
Snacks:
I seem to have almost forgotten about hummus when the weather was cooler but now that it’s warming up I’m craving hummus daily. Carrots, celery, sugar snap peas, and radishes dipped in spicy hummus is favorite after-work snack. I’ve also been eating my bodyweight in fruit on virtually a daily basis – pounds of grapes, cherries, apples, and bananas. Just can’t get enough!
Sights:
This Spring was amazing with weekends in Sonoma, San Diego, and Sea Ranch, but June has been a gorgeous month in San Francisco and I’ve been really enjoying spending time in my favorite city. Walking everywhere, trips to the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market, lazy days spent shopping and wandering around the sun-drenched streets… Amazing!
So tell me, what have you been up to? Do you like to make lists to ensure that you get everything done that needs to be done each day?
Mission: Put Together 2012 – Week II
I’m here today to give you a Week II breakdown for Definitely RA‘s 2012 fashion challenge – Mission: Put Together (similar to Freckles In Aprils’ 10 Day Style Challenge from earlier in the year) – my initial post on Week I post was published on May 15th. Clearly I’ve had a hectic Spring, but I’m glad that I’m finally sharing these fun pictures.
Ready for some color?
Week #2 was about one thing – Prints Prints Prints! I went from a solid black girl to mixing patterned pieces like a pro, the very reason that I wanted to take on this challenge in the first place.
Summer Stripes:
I feel like I should preference this by saying that this is the first time I’ve worn shorts since JUNIOR HIGH.
Striped Top: Zara, Royal Blue Shorts: Zara, Sandals: Vintage, Black Bag: Chanel, Sunglasses: Christian Dior, & Jewelry: JewelMint
You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu, shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder, or click the hyperlinks above for some comparable pieces that you can buy.
I traded in my vintage sandals for MaddenGirl heels to grab a glass of wine outside at a cafe.
That’s right. Junior High.
And of course I paired these too-cute bright blue Zara shorts with fun zipper details with a basic striped T-shirt. We all know how much I love stripes!
Polka Dots:
Polka Dot Blouse: Zara, Pleated Chiffon Mini Skirt: Zara, Black Blazer: Aqua, Clutch: Chanel, & Nude Heels: BCBGeneration
You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu, shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder, or click the hyperlinks above for some comparable pieces that you can buy.
I was totally mad for this outfit! Every once in a while I put something together that makes me just plain excited to go outside. And this is an example of that. I was bouncing around like a sugar-crazed little kid while Sean and I were waiting to meet my parents for dinner that night. I couldn’t even wait until after dinner to take pictures, we ran across the street from the restaurant after placing our orders to take these shots.
People were definitely stopping to stare at us while we were taking these pictures in Washington Square Park. I think trying to figure out who I was and why I was posing for photographs on a bike path…
Graffiti Girl:
When I saw this dress I knew it had to be mine.
Geometric Print Dress: Mango, T-Strap Heels: Zara, and Handbag: Zara
You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu, shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder, or click the hyperlinks above for some comparable pieces that you can buy.
I have a bad habit of wearing dresses that aren’t ideal for my body type. For example, I absolutely adore 6o’s mod-inspired styles and shift dresses, which are better suited for someone with a boyish figure – a la Twiggy.
Flower Child:
What do you wear when it’s gorgeous out on a lazy Sunday morning? Go hippie of course! And since I wanted to stay true to the challenge, I made sure to pick a fun floral printed dress to run errands in.
While I adore this print, what really made this dress stand out to me was the crocheted strip around the middle. Such a fun, unique detail.
Floral Dress: Vintage, Sunglasses: D&G, Cross-Body Bag: BCBGeneration & Floral Cuff: Vintage
You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu, shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder, or click the hyperlinks above for some comparable pieces that you can buy.
Print On Print:
Who would have ever guessed that me, the girl who wore nothing but solid black for years, would be involved in something as crazy as pattern mixing?
I love this dress and I’ve worn it a few times this season, but it was really fun to try to pick out a great patterned bag to pair with it this time, something that I wouldn’t necessary choose during a random wearing.
Dress: Lilly Pulitzer via Bloomingdale’s, Sandals: Vintage, Striped Tote: Forever 21, Charm bracelet: Juicy Couture, Flower Ring: Forever 21, & Turquoise Ring: Asos
You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu, shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder, or click the hyperlinks above for some comparable pieces that you can buy.
Color. Prints. Mixing patterned pieces. This was a big week for me, I definitely stretched my sartorial muscles. I’m sure that you also noticed that these are all weekend after-hours looks. I included a number of work outfits in Week I and wanted to try to incorporate more street style type looks this week.
Do you like the idea of a fashion challenge that forces you to make new and interesting fashion choices? Are you getting inspired to try out some fun new looks for Summer?
Links You’ll Love
Happy Sunday!
I don’t know about you, but I had another amazing weekend. The perfect combination of relaxation, family time, and social events. Before we get to this Sunday’s Links You’ll Love post, I just wanted to say a quick congratulations to my childhood friend Sophie who got married in a beautiful, moving ceremony yesterday.
Fashion:
Interesting news on the supplement front from Natural News – Vitamin D and sun exposure work synergistically to prevent breast cancer.
Here’s this week’s healthy recipe round-up: Kale Salad with Oranges, Almonds and Avocado (the “detox” salad) from Eat, Live Run, 10 Flavor-Packed Tofu Recipes from Shape Magazine, Broccoli White Bean Soupfrom FitSugar, How to Make the Perfect Big-Ass Salad (and the Best Dressing Recipe—Ever) from Fit Bottomed Girls, Healthy Zucchini Breadrecipes from FitSugar readers, Sun-dried Tomato Cheezy Kale Chips from the brilliant OhSheGlows, and 15 Gluten-Free Recipes from Heath.com.
Video time! Check out these two motivation and instructional videos to get you in the mood for healthy eating and working out this Spring .
- Women’s Health – Total Body Transformation
- Healthy Eating with David Kirsch
I think that this is a great idea! I’m always looking for something fun to do with friends that doesn’t revolve around eating or drinking. Yes, I love a cocktail as much as the next workaholic, but with my early mornings a booze-fueled “school night” is never a good idea. Barry’s Bootcamp – Party Fitness: 7 Workouts Better than Happy Hour. From a yoga rave to a Zombie Run, there are some great ideas here to try out.
How do you stay healthy and in shape when you have a hectic schedule and lots of traveling on the horizon? See what Miss Garance Dore has to say about her routines here.
Looks of the Week
Happy Monday!
I hope that everyone had a great weekend. I’ll tell you all about my amazing weekend in Sonoma tomorrow, in the meantime here are some great style pictures to jumpstart your Monday and get you in the mood for a fashionable week.
J'ADORE!!! I love the mixing of colors, patterns, fabrics, and textures here. It's simple in its composition, but the end result is a complex, well-put together, chic as hell look!
I love love love this look! The shorts and chic and fun, and they look great paired with the brightly patterned top. The floral necklace and the adorable day clutch are the perfect final touches. Absolutely great!
One of my favorite articles of clothing is a great dress. Something well-made, classic, stylish. Something that you can wear again and again, year after year. This is that kind of dress!
I love this delicate, girly, vintage-inspired lace dress. The contrasting collar is perfect and I love that she paired glittery flats with it rather than heels, it works well with the mod style.
Tribeca Film Festival 2012:
I love love love this photo! Karlie looks dazzling in Chanel and being flanked by the adorable Brant kids is perfect.
I like the glamorous but laid-back cool of both of these looks. I love little white dresses for Spring but I'm a sucker for stripes so I'm going to have to say that the look on the right is my favorite.
Lily Kwong looks stunning in Chanel, I love the black & white dress and her choice of accessories is right on - the pops of green and red are perfect.
Simple. Chic. Sexy. What more does a girl need for a night out?
The PERFECT little white dress courtesy of Reiss. A flattering fit and the perfect color against her skin - Camilla Belle looks phenomenal here!
Great Sass & Bide dress! It almost looks like Peter Pilotto, doesn't it? I like it paired with a basic leather jacket, very cute.
The 2012 White House Correspondents’ Dinner:
Kerry Washington decided to show us all the power of color for this event! A simple, streamlined look that popped beautifully against her skin and flaunted her gorgeous figure. Well done!
Anna Paquin's dress was dramatic and interesting for basic black, but what really stood out to me were her gorgeous earrings, bracelets, and clutch. Well done on the accessorizing. And her makeup looks phenomenal.
Kate Hudson was anything but a wall flower in floor-length purple sequins. Wow. Way to make a statement!
The top of this gown makes it anything but boring black. Paired with her beautiful retro waves and showstopping turquoise earrings Reese was quite the vision.
Elizabeth Banks has been kicking some booty on the red carpet lately during her Hunger Games touring and she continued her sartorial success in this Antonio Berardi gown. Now that's how to rock a peplum!
I've been LOVING shorts looks lately and this was is great. A little rock n' roll and glam, but still laid back and summery. Gorgeous!
Tomorrow is the first day of May and I’m planning to participate in Definitely RA’s Mission: Put Together – 2012, which is another fashion challenge like the one hosted by Freckles In April earlier this year that I really enjoyed, so expect some fun pictures in the next week or so.
Back tomorrow with some great pictures from my weekend!
Links You’ll Love
Fashion:
In the market for some new shoes? Refinery 29 and FabSugar have you covered on all fronts! Pump It Up: 10 Comfy-Chic Heels Every Working Girl Needsand 10 Super Chic Foldable Flats For the Girl on-the-Go.
Accessory obsessed? Real Simple has the goods on which baubles to buy – 7 Trendy Jewelry Pieces For Spring, WhoWhatWear shows you just what to put on your face Accessory Report: Retro Frames, and Mama’s A Rolling Stone has everything else you need for Spring – Style Essentials: Spring 2012.
In the mood for some fabulous vintage-inspired pieces? The Ulyana Sergeenko Spring/Summer 2012 Lookbook contains everything from gowns to floor length skirts to pin-up style one piece rompers.
Have you been enjoying the Do It Yourself articles that I’ve included in the last few Links You’ll Love posts? (The decoupage tray from Refinery 29, tuxedo pants & knockoff Chanel pants, sequined & beaded collared tops) You’ll love these two DIY suggestions!
- Are you a fan of all the gorgeous floral pants out there for Spring but unsure about dropping $100+ dollars on a short-lived trend? I Spy DIY walks you through how to make your own! [MY DIY] Painted T – You can apply this method to anything you’d like to freshen up for Spring – pants, a t-shirt, a canvas tote… The options are endless.
- I absolutely adore Peter Pan Collars (clearly) and was thrilled to discover Love Maegan’s Leather Peter Pan Collar Necklace DIY. Simple and chic.
Health/Fitness:
Are you a fan of the rush of endorphins you get after a workout or run? It might be evolution’s way of motivating you to hit the payment. heck out Science Daily’s Runner’s High Motivated the Evolution of Exercise.
I love to travel, but there’s one thing that never seems to get any easier – dealing with jet lag! Ever think about trying fasting? Steve Hendricks rights for Harper’s Magazine The Empty Stomach: Fasting to Beat Jet Lag.
Did you enjoy the Mark’s Daily Apple piece Why Fast? Part I – Weight Loss? that I shared a few weeks ago? Check out the next installment: Why Fast? Part II – How Fasting Fights Cancer.
Did you enjoy the breakfast ideas that I included in last week’s link post? Here are a few more ideas to spice up your breakfast routine:
- Easy Blueberry Cherry Granola from Yum Universe
- Strawberry Muffins (Gluten, dairy & sugar-free) from FitSugar
Personally, I love a little external inspiration to get me amped up and ready to hit the gym. Luckily Modelinia agrees and showed off some oh-so-fit Victoria’s Secret Angels in the new VSX Sexy Sport collection: Candice Swanepoel & Erin Heatherton Have Us Ready to Hit the Gym.
How about you, are you ready for a workout now? 🙂
MCLV Fashion & Lessons In Self Portraits
While I originally strove for the impossible here – i.e. decent looking self portraits – I decided to give this another attempt this past week. I’ve been having a lot of fun with my fashion choices lately and wanted to share it with you guys as best I can.
Pocket tunic - Express, Pants - DKNY, Sweater - Banana Republic, Boots - Can't remember & Jewelry - Vintage (Belle Cose)
A tunic over slim pants is one of my favorite silhouettes and I adore layering vintage gold jewelry so I really love this type of look. These boots, that I got years and years ago, are my current favorites – I like the thick heel because they’re incredibly comfortable, while the buckles give them a bit of a rock n’ roll feel.
Dress - BCBG, Jewelry- JewelMint & Vintage, Wristlet - Mango & Shoes - MaddenGirl
This colors in this dress are perfect for Spring while the subtle pattern is fresh and eye-catching. Styling it is fun because of the different ways that you can go – In January I went with a bright red coat, tights, and black pumps during the 10 Day Style Challenge. These new MaddenGirl shoes are really comfortable and I’m absolutely mad about them right now.
I always feel like Inspector Gadget when I wear bucket hats! 🙂
Coat - H&M, Booties - BCBG, Jewelry - Tiffany's & Hat - GAP
A belted jacket is such a great, classic look when its chilly out. No matter the occasion, day or night, a great coat can finish your look. It gives your outfit an overall air of polish.
Skirt - Zara, Tank - Anthropology, Booties - Max Studio & Bag - Givenchy
I love pleated skirts and excitedly picked up three for this Spring season. This black one is incredibly versatile, it can be worn with tights and boots when its colder out or with sandals and a tank during warmer weather.
Unfortunately we’re still suffering through day after day of rain here in San Francisco, so despite my desire to pull out all of my Spring clothes I’m still very much in winter mode from a wardrobe standpoint.
Have you switched to your Spring clothes & accessories yet?
Links You’ll Love
Health/Fitness:
Interested in the Paleo dieting craze that’s especially popular in CrossFit circles but intimidated by the all of the meat cooking? Try reading Whole 9 Life’s Paleo Nutrition For Vegetarians and Vegans.
Want to make sure that you’re getting all of the necessary nutrients each day and choosing the healthiest foods that you can? Check out The Organic Authority’s list of The 8 Most Nutrient Dense Foods On Earth or even FitSugar’s 5 Ways To Green Up With Spirulina.
Trying to boost your immune system as the season of colds is upon us? Read Peta Prime’s Eat Avocados, Fight Off Superbugs?
Sleeping trouble? Are there lights on in your bedroom? Cell phone, computer, DVD player… Read Sleep, Sleep, Sleep! How artificial lighting and cortisol impact zzz’s
Not a fan of mid-day workouts? They might improve your performance at work! The New York Times: How Exercise Fuels the Brain.
Fashion:
Boys, are you in the mood to mix up your standard suit & tie look? Check out Fashion Indie’s The Craziest Bow Ties You’ll See or Refinery 29’s Brad Gorseki editorial for tips & ideas. And if you’re in the mood for a little retro dressing, check out Details Magazine’s How To Dress Like Jake Ryan From Sixteen Candles for some 80’s prep tips.
Did you enjoy the DIY ideas in this Links You’ll Love edition? Check out The Stylist’s DIY Tuxedo Pants or Freckles In April’s DIY Knockoff Chanel Pants.
I’m a HUGE proponent of the day clutch & I’m loving the photos that FabSugar posted from the Paris Fall 2012 shows. Need that first one!
Links You’ll Love
Health/Fitness:
Need some good reading materials? Here are two healthy & nutrition related pieces to check out: Is Fructose Being Blamed Unfairly For The Obesity Epidemic from Science Daily and Dr. Terry Wahl’s video – Minding Your Mitochondria, about the unparalleled benefits of following a Hunter/Gatherer diet.
How to Fall In Love With Healthy Living from the amazing & hilarious Rachel Wilkerson – her latest article for Shape Magazine.
Interested in probiotics but not sure where to start? Here are a few pieces that you can read to help educate yourself: FitSugar’s The Pros of Probiotics and Choosing Raw’s Probiotics: To Take or Not To Take.
If you’re beginning a new workout regime or interested in really focusing your energy in order to get the best results possible at the gym than the word for you is INTERVAL. Intervals, Tabata & HIIT are the most effective ways to drop weight and build muscle through cardio. Here are some good basics to get you started:
- The Fitnessista – Tabata Training Intervals & Focus On: Tabata Training (scroll below the recipes)
- Erin Stern – Star Jumps
- Interval Training – Tabata Training : The Fastest Way to Fitness & Fat Loss
- Lean Gains– Intermittent Training & Stubborn Body Fat
- Jeanette Jenkins – Fat Blasting 10-Minute Workout
Fashion:
If you haven’t seen Garance Dore’s hysterical Fashion Week diaries they’re a MUST: Pardon My French Part I, Pardon My French Part II & Pardon My French Part III. Gorgeous shots from the shows, backstage and the parties & events, all narrated by . Too cute.
Spring staple to get your hands on? The shirtdress! The Stylist’s latest recurring series is called Lessons For A Modern-Day Lady and their most recent piece is titled: How To Wear A Shirtdress.
Fun boots were all over the runways for Spring, what version are you going to live in? Modelinia has models loving their brown, low heeled ankle boots, FabSugar has the How To on wearing Winter boots with breezy Spring looks, The Stylist shows chic celebrities in Rain Boots or you can try combat boots a la Lisbeth Salander from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. What is the right style for you?
In the mood for some grown up arts & crafts? Check out FabSugar’s DIY: Make A Sequin-Collar Top video, Design Sponge’s DIY Project: Leather Lunch Tote or the great DIY: Beaded Collar Blouse post from Moda, Moda that found when I was working on the Freckles In April 10 Day Style Challenge.
10 Day Style Challenge – Part V
I bet that you never thought you’d see this day… It’s my fifth and FINAL post of the Freckles in April 10 Day Style Challenge! If you’d like to learn some background on the challenge or see the photographs and prompts that you’ve missed so far, check them out here: Part I, Part II, Part III & Part IV.
Day 9: Open To Interpretation
This is a slightly different type of prompt that Days 1 through 8, for OTI we were given an image (the one below) and asked to put together an outfit inspired by it.
I took one look and emailed Holly in a panic: “I don’t own anything teal – No clothes OR accessories.” Luckily for me though, you were just supposed to use it as an idea to draw from rather than an outfit to be recreated piece by piece. So I took another look and tried to be more creative in my approach. I realized that what I liked most about the look was the colorblocking aspect. So colorblock I did.
Top - Zara, Navy Sailor Pants - H&M, Cream Aviator Coat - Mango, Bag & Charm Bracelet - Vintage & Slingbacks - BCBGirls
I’m a big dress and skirt girl, especially at work, so I was excited to put together another pants look. One of the biggest impacts of this challenge for me so far as been actually wearing clothes that have been sitting in my closet untouched & unloved for – in some cases – years. I need to do a better job of wearing all of my clothes – Which I actually made part of my February goals.
Day 10: Something That Scares You
This one was suggested by Miss Nemesis toward the end of the last round and I filed it away in my brain box. I think most (if not all) of us have some trend or ensemble we’d love to try if only it didn’t scare us silly. We’ve tried it in the safety of our bedrooms only to turn chicken at the last-minute and change into one of our go-to backup outfits before walking out the door.
I was pleased to read Kayla’s comment about trying new outfits on and then changing your mind and changing your clothes before leaving the house. I’ve done that so many times and I’m thrilled that I’m not the only one who does that! I’m a complete coward when it comes to so many things that I didn’t really know where to start on this one. My number one fear for years and years was wearing color, but I’ve actually managed to embrace them over the last few months. So what did I decide to go out in public in for Day #10 despite my terror?
PUFFS!!!
I live in fear of puffs!
Confused? Understandable, let me explain. Puffy sleeves, draping tops, pointy shoulders, Dolman & batwing sleeves and cowl necks all fill me with childlike terror – basically anything that has extra fabric on top. And the insane part is that not only do I adore them on other people, I’ve even bravely bought a few pieces over the years after overly ambitious stints in dressing rooms. So I pulled a puffy-sleeved two-toned dress out of my closet AND a puffy-sleeved cropped faux leather jacket and headed to work.
Dress & T-Staps: BCBG, Cropped Jacket: Miss Selfridge, Belt: Zara & Jewelry: Vintage
While the 10 Day Challenge has ended if you haven’t gotten enough fashion you’re in luck, New York Fashion Week starts Thursday!
10 Day Style Challenge – Part IV
This is the 4th of the five posts that I’m going to publish relating to the Freckles in April Winter Style Challenge. By way of background, the purpose of this little exercise is to challenge myself to try new styles, put together interesting clothing combinations that I haven’t tried before and learn to look outside the box when it comes to my personal approach to fashion.
If you’d like to catch up on what you missed so far, here are the previous installments: Part I, Part II & Part III.
Day 7: Bright Colors
Winter tends to be a time of blacks, grays and browns. My trips into public places have been awash in people clad in dark neutrals. It fits the weather and, sometimes, our moods, but bright colors have their place in winter too! For tomorrow I want you to add bright color to your winter wardrobe. It can be all over color or a small splash- whatever works for you.
Rather than do an all-over color or even a single neon piece, I wanted to simply do a splash of color to brighten up an otherwise traditional look. Luckily I found some great inspiration on three fashion blogs that I like to frequent on occasion.
What I liked about each of these looks – and what I hoped to achieve with the outfit that I was putting together for myself – was to use the color as a way to highlight and emphasize. A way to draw the eye to certain pieces that I wanted to show off. In this case my accessories – gloves, scarf and gorgeous faux leather planner.
Bags - Vintage & Longchamp, Coat - bought in Rome yeeears ago, Scarf - from Manila market, Dress - Max Studio, Ballet Flats - Lucky, Jewelry - Vintage & Gloves - A gift from my mother
I absolutely love this coat and I was thrilled to be able to make it part of my look after rescuing it from the depths of my closet. Which I have to admit was half the reason that I wanted to do this challenge in the first place, rediscovering buried treasure!
Day 8: Dress Up A Coat
Coats in and of themselves tend to be icing. I think just about everyone who lives in a cooler climate has a decent, good-looking coat that adds instant polish or style to their outfit. The idea of dressing up a coat hadn’t really occurred to me (possibly just because I live in AZ which doesn’t have a real winter) until I saw this post from Elsie at A Beautiful Mess.
Want to know what went through my head when I read this prompt?
THIS IS MINE!!! MIIINE!!! (Insert evil laugh here)
And why, you ask? Because right behind ‘purse addiction’ on the list of reasons why my friends and family will one day send me to rehab is ‘coat fetish.’ I kid. You. Not.
Clearly my issue was going to be narrowing it down. Then I had a moment of blind panic when I realized that I had already worn my two favorite coats. OH. MY. G*D.
P.S. I refuse to apologize for the fact that clothes, my closets and getting dressed make me so emotional – it’s just who I am. 🙂
The next step was to find some direction and then pick which coat would become the foundation of my look. Similar to the great post that Kayla found on A Beautiful Mess, I found a fab Do It Yourself style post that included one of my favorite things in the world – PEARLS. The Beaded Collar Blouse post that Moda, Moda published was a simple-to-follow How To on spicing up a standard blouse with extras like studs, beads or pearls.
Perfect! And while I’m determined to try this out on one of my blouses in the very near future, I didn’t want to do anything quite this drastic to my chosen coat yet so I used this as inspiration and went a slightly different route…
Rather than glue individual pearls to my coat lapels, I deconstructed a couple of costume jewelry pearl necklaces and sewed the strands on either side, under the adorable Peter Pan collar of my cropped coat. As a finishing touch I pinned some cute vintage heart charms to one of the strands of pearls, to give it a retro-feel.
Stay tuned for the final Challenge post next week!
10 Day Style Challenge – Part III
This is the third installment of the 10 Day Challenge: Winter Edition hosted by the lovely Kayla of Freckles in April. This is such a great idea because it really forces you to get out of your comfort zone, give up your go-to outfits, and try something truly new. I urge you to give it a try if you’re interested in spicing up your fashion routine – Join us!
Would you like to see what you’ve missed from this challenge so far? Check out Part I and Part II.
Day 5: Pattern Mixing
Our other repeat from the last challenge. I chose this one specifically because it was difficult for people. BUT the thing I read most from that day was, “This was hard but I love my outfit!” And that is what I am going for here. So tomorrow I want you to mix up some patterns and love it.
I’m not going to lie. When I read this prompt I freaked out a little. I’m a solids girl. Yes, I have patterned pieces and I mix them in on occasion, but mixing all patterns? Ek! Luckily I found some amazing inspiration.
AND OnTheRacks had impeccable timing and published a post filled with gorgeous photographs from an editorial that was just bursting with patterns and prints and gave me even more inspiration.
Dress - Vintage, Shirt - Zara, Booties & Belt - BCBG, Clutch - Forever 21, Jewelry - Vintage & Tiffany's and Christian Dior Sunglasses
Day 6: Decade or Region
I’m sure we all have a decade that speaks our sartorial language and over the past few years we’ve seen a huge interest in vintage fashion. Victory rolls, wide legged jeans, neon…all places we’ve bravely gone before but don’t mind revisiting. My inspiration pictures start in the 20s but you can go as far back as you want for inspiration (know how to update a fig leaf? I would love to see that).
You guys know how much I love 60’s fashion and channeling the likes of Twiggy but I wanted to do something a little bit different for this prompt. With Mad Men being all the rage last year and Banana Republic even launching a capsule collection based on the show’s fashion, I thought I might give the late 50’s a go.
I adored both the Louis Vuitton Fall 2010 Ready-To-Wear collection and Michael Kors’s 2008 Ready-To-Wear show (in fact, I inherited a khaki Escada suit from my mother that I want to have tailored in the style of the latter) so I used them as my inspiration for today’s look.
Skirt, Blouse, Bag & Jacket - Zara, Faux Fur Scarf - BCBGeneration, Sunglasses - Christian Dior, Kitten Heels (sorry Hayley) - Steve Madden, Jewelry - Vintage and Gloves - H
10 Day Style Challenge – Part II
Welcome to Part II of Freckles in April‘s 10 Day Challenge: Winter Edition. In an attempt to keep my personal style interesting and steer clear of fashion ruts I’m participating in this fashion challenge. Each day Kayla provides us with a theme for our outfit and we dress accordingly, then share the pictures.
If you’d like to catch up on Day 1 & Day 2 you can see them here.
Day 3: Embrace A Trend
Sometimes it’s easiest to just stay in our own little comfort zone of classics and basics and ignore passing trends. But for tomorrow I want you to pick a trend that intrigues you and go for it. Neon nails? Sure! Faux fur? Heck yes. Red pants? You know I love ’em.
This is such a great prompt, it really makes you face your fears and try something new and unusual. I stood in my closet and spent some time on Style.com weighing the pros and cons of various trends. Would this one be flattering? Am I brave enough to try this? And you know what I decided to go with?
STAR STRUCK!
As much as I’ve adored the Dolce & Gabbana star-studded gowns that have made it to the red carpets lately, the key to making this trend work for me was going to be translating it into a day-to-day, wearable format. Sadly that meant the hotpants were out too. Tragic really.
Tunic - Zara, Cigarette Pants - Juicy, Bag - Express, Jewelry - Vintage, JewelMint & Tiffany's, Scarf - Zara, Flats - Lucky & Blazer - Aqua
Day 4: Channel Someone
For tomorrow I want you to channel someone. Alive or dead, fictional or real, famous or regular Joe – doesn’t matter. The trick here is to keep your outfit from looking costumey. You don’t have to copy them exactly…just try and capture the flavor. Pick something they might wear. Give their hairstyle a go.
When I saw this prompt my brain went into overdrive! Audrey Hepburn. No – Grace Kelly. No – Jackie O. No – Twiggy. No – Someone original, someone no one else will pick. To save my pride I’ll lie about how long that little conversation in my head went on for and just say that it went on for a while.
So where did I end up?
I really wanted to channel a 60’s-era Mod girl but since Twiggy is a bit out of my range size-wise, I went with Jean Shrimpton who not only had some curves, she also had long hair with straight, dramatic bangs.
E Voila!
Dress - Burberry, Boots - Zara, Coat - H&M & Purse - Vintage
10 Day Style Challenge
In an effort to shake things up style-wise I decided to participate in Freckles in April‘s 10 Day Challenge, which started on Monday, January 23. I don’t know about you, but I have favorite pieces in my closet and tried-and-true looks that I throw together on a regular basis. Perhaps too frequently… While it’s great to have some go-to looks to save you time in the mornings, sometimes that can mean a style rut or even – gasp – forgetting about great pieces that are smashed in the back of your closet.
The 10 Day Challenge: Winter Edition consisted of Miss Kayla providing a daily prompt for inspiration and the participants using said prompts to choose their look for the following day. Since the majority of my day is spent in the office and I don’t always change before running errands or going out after work, I wanted to include some work looks as well as more casual attire over the course of the 10 days. I’m going to share the looks with you two at a time so that I don’t overwhelm you with pictures of me for the next two weeks.
You’re welcome!
My friend Liz was kind enough to act as photographer over the course of the 10 day period and she’s doing a great job despite my complete and utter hatred of having my picture taken. Hopefully this challenge will be the beginning of me sharing more of my daily fashion looks!
Day 1 : Layer It
I’m starting you off easy! But the biggest perk of doing a winter challenge is that we can wear layers. Layers add depth and complexity to an outfit as well as warmth. It’s a great way to work in pattern or texture and there are a million different ways you can go about it.
What I love about layering is that it gives you a chance to give an outfit depth. As amazing as a fabulous dress or a great suit can look, layers allow you more creativity and a chance to make a look wholly your own.
I wanted my layers look to be colorful and fun so that it got me out of my all black phase, warm enough to survive the day and professional looking so that it would be appropriate for a Monday at the office.
Dress: BCBG, Coat: Zara, Purse: Zara, Gloves: H&M, Tights: Kate Spade, Pumps: Very Volatile, Pashmina: from market in Manila & Sunglasses: Christian Dior
Day 2 : Monochrome
There is just something about a monochromatic outfit that feels so wonderfully organized and clean to me. Last time I went safe with blue..we’ll see if I can be a little bolder this time!
I agree with Kayla’s comment above, the first word that I would use to describe most monochromatic looks would be “clean.” And who better to take as my inspiration than the King of Clean himself – Michael Kors?
I’m not going to lie, it took ever fiber of self-control that I have not to wear all black for my monochromatic look. Its safe. Its slimming. Oh, and I have any entire closet full of it… But, it’s also my go-to and the point of this little exercise is to mix things up.
Dress: Banana, Purse: BCBG, Jewelry - Vintage, JewelMint & Tiffany's, Booties: BCBG & Coat: H&M
I was surprised by how well the various shades of grey worked together – the tights and booties ended up complimenting the dress even better than I’d hoped. No, I’ll never be Zoe, but I can emulate her style! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?
Stay tuned for the next eight looks of the challenge, including some separates and street clothes…
Moi Contre La Vie 