Friday, March 30, 2012

Rainbow Connection

My affinity with well-manicured fingers continues.  This week has been all about fun and colorful nails.  I started on Sunday with bright coral nails and just a pop of glimmer on my ring finger to add some extra dazzle.  Then, by mid-week I decided between a few shades of purple to change things up.  Finally, it’s not easy being green, but I will have bright green nails for the weekend.  J





OPI "A Roll in the Hauge" & Essie "As Gold As It Gets"





OPI "Pamplona Purple"






OPI "Jade is the New Black"

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Luck Be A Lady

Looking polished and perfectly ladylike can be easy peasy with a crisp tailored white blouse.  A white button down is a closet essential and completely versatile when creating girly and ladylike looks. 





With a skirt…

Pair your white blouse with a colorful skirt and leave it untucked for a casual outfit.  Add sophistication with a chunky necklace and nude heels.


Under a dress…

Popping a crisp white shirt under a dress creates a polished and preppy look.  Add a big bag, chunky earrings and pumps to go girly.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Work to Weekend, Part II

As I was thinking about what pieces I constantly wear both to work and out on the weekend, I couldn’t help but consider all of my “closet all-stars.”  Necessary basics that can be mixed and matched with almost anything to create both professional and casual looks.  Outfits that can take you to the office and all that comes after.


Little Black Dress

A little black dress is such a versatile piece to have in your wardrobe and can be an inexpensive way to create a luxe look.  First, create a professional office look by adding a white blazer over your LBD.  A white suit coat and a perfectly tailored black dress are “closet all-stars” in my book.


Get rid of the jacket and add an animal print belt and bold earrings to take your LBD from the office to an evening out.


Striped Skirt

This stripped skirt screams “spring time” and can be paired with plenty of colors.  By adding a cap sleeved top and more conservative heels, you can wear this fun skirt to your next meeting.



Swap out your blouse for a navy tank and bright accessories for a weekend day in the city or the park!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Work to Weekend, Part I

I don’t know too many women that have strict “work wear” and a completely separate “weekend wardrobe.”  Yes, there are those pieces that you probably shouldn’t wear to the office (sweatpants, short skirts or tank tops) but there are so many ways to interweave your work wardrobe and casual wardrobe together.  With office dress codes becoming more relaxed in a lot of professional environments, there are plenty of ways to dress for success at the office and then take those same pieces and style them for a fun weekend look.


Striped jacket

This light spring jacket is perfect for the office with a bright colored shirt to contrast.  Pair with tailored pants and a great bag for a classic work look.


Then, take the jacket and pair with skinny jeans and pumps for a flirty weekend outfit.


Polka dot dress

This dress can be easily paired with a suit jacket to dress it up for a day at the office. 




Take the dress from corporate to elegant by ditching the jacket, adding some bold bracelets and a clutch.  Perfect for a weekend dinner date or cocktail party.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

DIY Bracelet

I was feeling crafty this weekend, so I decided to put some of my DIY Pinterest ideas to work.  Wrapping and stacking bracelets have been a recent fashion trend and all of those layers of bracelets are like a little party on your arm.  So, I decided to make my own unique version of a wrap bracelet to add to my collection.  I purchased some natural thread and inexpensive beads at the craft store for this project, however you can even use washers from the home improvement store for your beads as well.  See the results below...  J





Thursday, March 22, 2012

Strategy Room

Your closet is not just a closet…  It is your strategy room.  Just like companies make strategic choices and business decisions, you have the ability to strategize your outfits to look good, feel good and be the best version of yourself.  Based on my upcoming day, I consider my outfit the night before.  Do I need extra confidence because I am going to be giving a presentation?  If so, I’ll pick something with great color and a killer pair of heels.  If I am going to spend the day running around, I will choose a more comfortable pair of pants and chic flats.  It’s all about strategizing and planning ahead.


Create a “judgment space” in your closet where you can hang pieces up for the next morning.  This allows you to see how colors mix and match and cuts down on getting ready time in the morning.  So remember, your outfit reflects your daily strategy and each day is a chance to have your very own fashion moment.  J

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Nailed It!

Once again inspired by Pinterest, I have had a recent obsession with fun and creative manicures and nail designs.  Since I wasn’t allowed to wear nail polish in high school, I think my fixation with having well manicured fingers started in college and developed into my professional career.  I think nail polish is like an extra accessory and having well manicured fingers can dress up any outfit.

First, I tried some fun polka dots on my ring finger by delicately using a toothpick and multi-colored polishes.


 
Then, I decided to try to match my polish to my shoes by doing a nude and pink version of a French manicure.


Finally, since the beautiful spring weather came early, I decided to brighten things up with a bright yellow tipped French.


 
But sometimes, nothing compares to a classic French manicure.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Lite Brite

Bright colors, color blocking and neon hues are trending this spring on the runway and on the street.  Thank goodness, because I am pretty tired of my dark tights, boots and sweater dress winter apparel.  Bring on the color!  Neon can be a tricky trend to pull off requiring a balance of brights and neutrals.  To avoid the 80’s look, don’t pair neon with black.  Stick with navy and nudes.





The whole shabang! – Pink Dress
Choose a bright colored dress with minimal accessories and neutral shoes to balance the vibrant shade.

Just a touch – Hot Pink Belt
For just a touch of neon, add a hot hued belt to a black and white dress for just the right amount of “pop!”

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Prep School

A crisp white blouse is the perfect closet staple to layer with color for spring.  This timeless and versatile piece can be easily dressed up with a skirt or jacket or it can look effortless and clean paired with jeans for a casual day running around town.   To create a chic yet preppy look for work, pair a white button down with a bright skirt and complementing sweater.  The color adds some vibrancy to this neutral blouse while giving it a professional yet preppy look.



For a fun spring weekend look, roll up the sleeves of your white blouse and pair with colorful shorts and flats.  The playful and preppy vibe is perfect for a weekend picnic or shopping with the girls.  J

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

1 Dress, 4 Looks

25 more days until Easter…  Which means, 25 more days of no shopping.  So, instead of looking for new dresses to add to my closet, I have been finding new ways to wear the pieces that are currently in my wardrobe.  I was inspired to take a basic black wrap dress and accessorize it in different ways.  Can you really make one dress look like four different dresses?  Here’s what I came up with…


Elegant
A little black dress is so classic with basic ladylike accessories.  I added a pop of color with some bright blue pumps.

Edgy
By adding a leather jacket and funky tights, I transformed this wrap dress into a more edgy look.

Winter
Layering on a thicker black jacket, scarf and knee high boots make this look toasty and warm for the colder months.

Spring
I wouldn’t typically chose a black dress for spring, but by pairing it with orange shoes, a bright clutch and floral necklace, the look is a great option for the warmer months ahead!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Love to be In Style

Each month when I get my copy of InStyle in the mail, I pour over the pages looking for new outfit inspiration, trends and beauty ideas to try for myself.  I am constantly encouraged to try new color combinations and patterns and am reinventing my wardrobe with ideas inspired by the magazine.  So, when one of my looks was featured in the October 2011 issue, I was completely thrilled and shocked.  It was wonderful to feel like my passion for fashion was recognized by a publication that I love and look forward to reading.



Once again, I was delighted and humbled to be selected for the April 2012 issue showing some of my InStyle inspired looks.  Nothing is worse than not knowing what to wear at the last minute, so I always feel more confident and relaxed when I know what to wear ahead of time.  So, my sincerest thanks go out to InStyle for encouraging me to reinvent my wardrobe and recognizing my love for fashion and shoes.  J


Sunday, March 11, 2012

The Mothership

Recently on a work trip to Vegas, as I was walking through the hotel lobby, I stumbled upon the Mothership…  A gigantic stiletto.  I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.  At nearly 7 feet high, I could literally be the little old lady who lived in a shoe.  I was actually somewhat embarrassed to approach it, as I was wearing flats that day, but I felt a special shoeholic connection with the statue.





 
Another great find in Vegas…  This amazing wallpaper.  I basically want to redo my entire closet in this fun pattern.  I couldn’t wait to put my clothes in the closet, even if it was only for 2 days.  J

Thursday, March 8, 2012

A Fashionable Life

It seems like many women wait for an event or trip to bring out the “big guns” in their closet.  What I mean is, women often save new clothes, outfits or nice dresses for the perfect event.  This is something I once did and then realized a year later that I had never worn that dress I was “saving” for the ideal event.  A year had gone by and the dress I was waiting to wear still hung in my closet with the tags on.  And at that point, I wasn’t so in love with the dress anymore. 

So, you might as well make your life fashionable.   Everyday life is an opportunity to have a fashion “moment.”  Don’t wait for a party, your job or a wedding to get dolled up.  Why not wear the shoes you love out for a day of shopping or to a family dinner?  If you wait for the perfect moment to wear something you love, you may never end up wearing it.  So go ahead, wear your favorite shoes to the grocery store.  J



Thursday, March 1, 2012

Four Seasons, One Closet

Women often ask me how I organize my closet.  No, I don’t have 2 closets separating my summer and winter apparel.  And I don’t shove all of my winter clothes into a trunk when summer arrives.  By mixing and matching articles of clothing, layering and reinventing pieces, I manage to fit my wardrobe for all four seasons into my one walk-in closet. 

I know many women organize their closet by color, however I am more of a “categorizer.”  I assign areas that make sense to me…  Short sleeve blouses, sweaters, jackets, work pants, jeans…  Then there are summer dresses, winter dresses and in-betweenie dress.   Cocktail dresses, skirts and summer shorts.  Clutches and scarves live in cute cloth bins, and finally, my shoes are a little bit all over the place, but again, it all makes sense to me.  J

My biggest suggestion for closet organization and cleaning would be to first decide what to keep, toss, donate or tailor. Would you feel excited, comfortable or pretty wearing it out tonight? If the answer is no, let it go! Or, if you can’t say goodbye just yet, simply place your “questionable” items in a bag and put it under your bed. Revisit the bag in 3 months and see if you even remember what you put in there. There’s your answer. J