Sunday, April 13, 2014

Girls Night Out: Transitioning to Spring with a Pop of Yellow


Aren't nights with the girls just the best? It is finally starting to feel like spring in most places, so it's time to start bringing in those bright spring hues.

Spring/Summer trends this year are all about:
-florals 
-big art-like prints
-laid back boho/grunge
-pops of color
This Asos S/S '14 Trend Guide is so on point. Check it out for all the spring/summer inspiration you need!

For dinner and drinks with my gal pals last night I decided to mix a couple of these trends. I, of course, stuck with my basics, this big print flowy graphic tee(similar Forever 21 here) could fall in to the big art-like prints and laid back grunge trends. Paired with a quilted black faux leather skirt from the boutique I work at(similar Forever 21 here), with a light jean button down tied around my waist(similar Target here) which could fall under the laid back grunge trend. These Steve Madden nude heels are also a staple basic for s/s '14 as the nude goes with everything and simple is paired well with the layers that go along with the laid back grunge trend. 

To top off my look I paired my pop of color, Kate Spade limoncello colored bag (similar) that I actually received for my birthday last year and is still right on trend for many springs and summers to come!

What are your favorite trends for Spring/Summer '14?

Friday, April 11, 2014

Getting Dressed for the Festivals: Rompers Rompers Rompers!


Well festival season is certainly coming to a start! Coachella starts this weekend in Palm Springs, CA…and right in my backyard on Fort Lauderdale Beach, we have Tortuga Music Festival!

Now festival looks are all about being as comfy, boho, and fun as possible. The romper is always a staple in my wardrobe, but for festivals they are definitely on trend with the loose, laid-back feel and comfort needed for the all day outside festivities. You can throw on sandals like these Dolce Vita sandals pictured with them. You can also wear, more my personal preference, booties like these Sam Edelman tan booties ,or these Forever 21 gladiator sandals.

This romper is from the boutique I work at but I was clicking through the Asos rompers to choose some outfit inspo pieces for you all and I couldn't decide on just one-they have so many good choices! So click here for a great array of romping choices.

And of course you can not go to a festival without layering lots of jewelry. Check out this Asos Festival Jewelry page for some jewelry inspiration.

Are you heading to a festival this summer? What would you wear?

How to Dress Up Your Boyfriend Jeans


I am so happy when my sister is in town :)
She is away at university so when she is home we always go to family dinners. For her spring break, she was home for a couple of days before cruising off with some friends. After hanging out together all day in my comfy new boyfriend jeans I purchased in NY, I decided to just throw on some heels and change my shirt to maintain comfy through dinner.

The second I saw these jeans on the hanger I had already decided on the purchase, but was just hoping for the fit. Boyfriend jeans are tricky, I believe you always have to try them on before purchasing, because in order for them to look good you have to be comfortable and confident in that fit being the way you want them to fit. And because boyfriend jeans are "boyfriend" jeans they come in many different cuts and "baggy-nesses"- they are actually just like the girls-you have to find the best fitting jean for you!
Check out a great guide to choosing boyfriend jeans here!

The boyfriend jeans I am wearing are from H&M, they are sold out online, but these similar H&M boyfriend jeans look like a great first pair with the lighter color for s/s '14 and on trend distress. This H&M Blouse, I also purchased while in NY, adds the feminine touch to balance out the baggy/distressed boyfriend jean and dress them up a little. The basic nude heels I am wearing are actually from Forever 21 from last year…but they have the exact same identical nude heels at Steve Madden.

And, of course what do you do when you are wearing all basics and neutrals…add a pop of color! My mother spoiled me in NY with the purchase of this red side bag, but there are so many other great reasonable options like these from Forever 21, and  Asos.

How do you dress up your boyfriend jeans?

Monday, April 7, 2014

FINALLY! A Post About DC Day 1 and Refinery29


So this was totally random, but also EXTREMELY awesome :)

I had basically just landed in D.C. after waking up at 4:30 in the morning to head to the airport. I met up with my best friend, Katie, who I was staying with for the weekend, dropped my bags and then headed to lunch….Well, after lunch I realized that it may have been a little too early that morning because I forgot gloves and it was definitely necessary glove weather, so we went to Forever 21 to find some cheap warm gloves and then this happened….

I was walking around Forever 21 in my outfit(above) that I had been wearing on the airplane and all day. As we were walking out, this lady(girl taking picture of me) stopped me and complemented many facets of my outfit(shoes, hat, necklaces, bag etc.) I was so flattered, I couldn't believe how nice she was being. Then she proceeded to ask to take pictures of me for a "street style, lifestyle" post for the website Refinery29 . And you can probably take a guess as to what my answer was…YES.

This is the description of what Refinery29 produces on there website: "Refinery29, the largest independent fashion and style website in the United States, is a lifestyle platform that delivers nonstop inspiration to live a more stylish and creative life."

She handed me her business card for validity, and then I just stood on the street right outside of Forever 21. She took probably about 50 pics:close up, far away, and of certain pieces of my outfit…it was really fun! And props to my super smart best friend Katie for taking pictures on her iPhone(pic above) of the photographer taking pictures of me.

I was wearing, of course, many of my favorite basics I have already blogged about including: my Asos light wash skinny jeans, black J.Crew coat(similar), my everyday jewelry and the Forever 21 floppy hat(similar)…
the new additions to my outfit were these burgundy Aldo slip-ons that were super comfy and on trend to wear walking around the city in the cold (I also ended up buying these H&M faux snakeskin slip-ons while on my vacation because I loved them so much), and a great vintage find white pullover sweater(similar on Asos)

It was such an awesome experience and I am overly flattered that the lady even stopped me to take pictures.

The pictures were never used as the entire post was never published on to the website, but it doesn't matter to me, another great life experience and an awesome story to tell.

Monday, March 17, 2014

High Line, Soho, Pizza, and Shopping: Casual for NY Day 3


On our last full day in NY we had to get some Soho, Greenwich Village shopping in and we thought it would be nice to walk the High Line to get there. It was absolutely beautiful out, sunny and 32 degrees which was like being in a hot tub after the past couple of days. 

I wore my vintage black turtleneck sweater, the Acne Studios -inspired jacket I blogged about here that is from Sheinside-here(which was super comfy, kept me warm and exceeded my expectations for the price and quality), my favorite basic pleather wax skinny jeans from Etiquette boutique at home, and my oh so wonderful black and white Nike's that I dedicated a whole blog post to here! Oh and of course my every day sunnies- the Ray Ban Oversized XL Wayfarer.

A successful day of shopping and delicious NY pizza from the famous Joe's pizza in Greenwich Village made for some drinks and then an early night in.

Remember to check back for my DC Day 1 post for some exciting news!!

Meeting Up with One of My Favorite London Friends in NY!



Probably the BEST part about being in NY was getting to see one of my London Study Abroad friends who lives in NY. It has been 2 years since we were in London having the best times of our lives so we might have been a little way excited to see each other.

On this day it was absolutely the coldest-I could not layer up enough. I don't even have a full body shot of my outfit because it was honestly too cold to stand in place to take one and I was just so excited to be hanging with Sam we were a little distracted.


In the morning we had a good ole NY Bagel and then headed to The Guggenheim Museum where we viewed the exhibitions of Italian Futurism, Carrie Mae Weems, and Kadinsky in Paris. The Carrie Mae Weems exhibition fascinated me because it was about life and the art in living everyday.

Then, we headed to the famous The Plaza Hotel for some afternoon tea and of course I had to get the "Eloise at the Plaza" option as it had grilled cheese and pb&j's, along with my favorite tea of choice that I probably drink way too much of every day-green tea :)

After tea we frolicked around: went shopping, grabbed some macaroons from Laduree , attempted to take pictures in front of the ice-skating rink at 30 Rock(above), shopped some more, and then had some messy fries, drinks, and mac n cheese at this delicious restaurant for dinner(above, above)

Over my usual three layers of tank tops, leggings and long sleeves I wore a basic gray pullover sweatshirt(similar here) my new favorite floral bomber jacket from Gap (top photo) my favorite Urban Outfitters basic black high waisted skinny jeans , and you can probably guess…my black LF sale DV booties (check almost all my other posts for links to the booties)

Tell me the cool places where your friends live and how do you have to dress where they live?!

Sunday, March 16, 2014

NY Day 1! Dressing for the Broadway Shows!

Day 3 of my vacation I headed to NYC to meet up with mom for our little girls trip.
It was even colder in NY than in DC so my floppy hat wasn't going to do the trick anymore and I had to switch to the beanie to really keep the heat locked in.
I got there around noon on a bus from DC, we dropped off my bags, head to grand central station for lunch then on to our first show of the day-a 3 o'clock matinee of Kinky Boots-which was hilarious, emotional, and just awesome. We then proceeded to head over to the theatre where Book of Mormon is playing in hopes for tickets that have been sold out for months. Well, we got super lucky and received tickets for 4th row center-it was pretty crazy. And let's just say there is absolutely a reason it is the best show on Broadway right now-it was AMAZING in every single aspect. After some after show drinks it was time for bed.

It is such an experience going to Broadway shows in NY-the old theaters, the caliber of acting, and especially how people dress. I was saving this vintage red coat and vintage cashmere black turtleneck in anticipation for the shows in NY. I found both of the vintage pieces for a steal here in a Fort Lauderdale vintage boutique (people aren't exactly looking for winter clothes here so it was a good situation for me). I wore my pleather black jeans from my favorite boutique here, Etiquette, that I have worn in previous posts. My favorite LF sale black booties that I talk about in pretty much every posts haha and my tri color CK side bag. 
It was the perfect combination of casual yet dressy and super comfy for walking from show to show.

Check back for links to similar items! Also check out my previous posts to links to items I have already talked about here!

What shows have you seen recently and how do you dress for the theatre?!!

Thursday, March 13, 2014

One of Many Posts About My Winter Outfits in DC and NY


SPRING BREAK '14 WOO! The last spring break I will ever have(when did we get old?)
As you know from my previous posts, I was lucky enough to head back to DC and NY for SB to visit friends and be with family. To say I had the best time would be an understatement.
I am lucky to have such loving, wonderful, fun friends. 
From sightseeing to brunching, to going out and recovering on the couch the next morning-it was the perfect recipe for a vacation!

So lets get to the clothes...I found this trip as a great opportunity to make blog posts-really any trip should be a great opportunity to put outfits together, because if you are like me you are definitely taking pictures and just being away and experiencing something new is an excuse to put yourself together. Also, if you put your outfits together in advance you aren't bringing those 12 extra sweaters and 15 different pairs of shoes because you aren't sure of what to wear yet when you are there(trust me I know, I was 100% this girl) SO you are saving room in your suitcase a.k.a there is more room to buy things and fill it up :) And, it actually gives you more time in the day while you are there because you are not standing over your suitcase in the morning being like "ummm does this look cute?"

I am actually going out of order here, this is Day 2(I am saving my Day 1 outfit for another posts that I can spend a lot of time on because there is something special that happened!)

Ok, it was freezing-probably a whopping high of 30 degrees so layers and covering up were essential. We decided to frolic around and take pictures-because what else do you do after an endless pizza & mimosa brunch!

For my actual visible layers,(I had on a tank top and another long sleeve shirt underneath the striped long sleeve) I wore a basic Gap striped navy and white long sleeve shirt. My essential basic olive lightweight jacket from Forever 21. My favorite ASOS basic high-waisted light skinny jeans that I have blogged about before(with leggings and high socks underneath). And another pair I have blogged about in previous posts, my great LF sale find in my black DV booties
Now my Black coat has some great traveling memories with it and I was excited to be able to wear it again! Us Florida girls don't get to dress for real winter that often so it gets hyped up :) My black coat is from J.Crew about two years ago, so I found a pretty similar one here. 
Oh, and this great black floppy hat that I actually wore a lot and kept my head insulated is from Forever 21, similar here. 

How do you dress for the cold?

Check back for my post from DC Day 1 for some exciting news!!!

Sunday, February 23, 2014

A Little Sunday Brunch Outfit Inspiration

Happy Sunday! Hope everyone is having an enjoyable, restful day :)

It is an absolutely beautiful day in Fort Lauderdale and for the first time in a while I actually don't have to work on a Sunday-yay! So the girls and I are headed to brunch for some bottomless drinks and delicious food!

I wore this black flowy romper from LF sale last season, my light blue chambray button down tied around my waist from Forever 21, my everyday jewelry( check back to my post yesterday for everyday jewelry), these great peach colored booties that are designer inspired but from Forever 21!, my Calvin Klein side bag, and another great Forever 21 find-the black floppy hat!

Check back for links!! Sorry have to run but wanted to get this post up for Sunday!

Do you dress up or go casual for brunch?

Saturday, February 22, 2014

My Everyday Jewelry-Mixing Silver and Gold

 (Click on pictures for link)

Happy Saturday! As promised, I am sharing with you my everyday jewelry. I am a 100% advocate for mixing silver & gold-I do tend to lean more towards gold when I am purchasing fashion costume pieces like big necklaces/bangles/rings etc. but that is for another post.

For earrings I wear these 14K gold studs with medium size cz(cubic zirconia) in them. (similar above) This is the one thing I absolutely wear every single day and never switch. 
 I love a beautiful big earring but I honestly never wear them so I have had to control myself not to buy them.

I layer two gold thin chain necklaces(similar above) every day. They are super simple and because they are so delicate and thin it just adds a little something to an outfit. Many days/night I will throw on a long necklace or I will take them off and wear a big chunky necklace depending on the outfit.

This Michael Kors watch (pictured above) is exactly what I was looking for. It absolutely goes with everything being silver and gold. I had the silver Michele watch and the Michael Kors Horn  watch for years and they are beautiful, great pieces but I was really looking for a watch to wear with every outfit and the MK one fits the bill. Now I do not wear a watch every single day if I am layering a bunch of bangles and bracelets or sometimes I do wear it with a bunch of bangles and bracelets but then I will take off my necklaces and have my wrist be the focal point. The watch is a big piece so you don't want to over do the jewelry by wearing it.

I am absolutely in love with my gold Lat & Lo cuff. (pictured above) I wear it every single day. The company is called Lat & Lo because each piece of jewelry has the Latitude and Longitude coordinates of a city of your liking and then the city is engraved in cursive on the other side. They are beautiful, simple, yet meaningful pieces-I actually have two gold cuffs 1. Fort Lauderdale-where I was born and raised and lucky enough to have so many great family and friends & 2. London-where I was lucky enough to study abroad, meet the most amazing friends from all over, and fall in love with a city that I will hopefully be moving back to -the future/my goal
This company also makes necklaces

Finally, I wear these very thin/delicate gold rings all over my hands. This great pack from H&M (pictured above) comes with all different sizes. Some days I will wear four different rings on one hand like two regular rings and two midi rings(rings that go above your knuckle) and on other days I will just wear one regular one on my pointer finger. Now I have been only wearing gold rings for a while now but with silver coming included in the pack-hey why not!

Let me know what you wear every day for jewelry!





Friday, February 21, 2014

Just a Switch of the Jeans Can Take an Outfit from Work to Play


 So Thursdays I always go from work to class. And after being in work clothes all day even just a little change can make me feel a little more comfortable and relaxed knowing I am not in my work clothes.

It's as simple as switching jeans! (and in this case I changed my flats too)

This H&M Sweater (similar) was one of there basic staples last year(I also got it in tan), it was extremely decently priced-I think I got it for $10 during one of their promotions. H&M always has great deals and promotions on essential pieces for everyday that can be mixed between dressy and casual-therefore fitting my whole style regimen and the purpose of this blog :) and they are good quality- you can check out the basic section in store and online !

For work I paired the sweater with my ever-so-perfect basic stretchy skinny dark blue jean from Forever 21 (similar)- again I think I paid maybe $12 for these jeans and, for the price, the quality is great-I have had them for almost a year-wearing them many many times and they still look and fit almost new. Another item I found under the basic section they have online and in stores!

I also wore my "basic" (in my world) leopard flats I talked about in my Valentine's Day post , my everyday jewelry(Next Post-I promise ill let you know what these everyday jewels I wear are), and the best basic black bag I have ever owned from Topshop-unofrtunately I bought it this summer when I lived in L.A. so they don't have it anymore, because trust me I would have bought every color, but they have other great options, as always, here!

For class tonight I paired the sweater with my favorite favorite pair of jeans that are my boyfriend jeans-that I basically said the exact same thing about in my Valentine's Day post , they are just so great. Once again, my everyday jewelry and the Topshop bag. I also tied around my waist a camo button down I picked up while working at Splendid in L.A. this summer (shocker-I worked at store whose whole mission was to perfect their basics), no longer available but similar here! Another great find from L.A. this summer from another great LF sale-that I have talked about many times in other posts-were the Jeffrey Campbell gold and tan flats I wore to class tonight, similar here! (from Nordstroms)

Let me know how you take outfits from work-to-play!

Monday, February 17, 2014

Four Cheap Coats(But Nice) for NYC!!

 


Well, this girl is heading to D.C. and NYC in a few weeks! (Happy Valentines Day to me :) Woo! I am so excited-I can't wait to get back to two of my favorite cities and get to enjoy being with a bunch of friends. 
I automatically thought about what I will need to wear-booties, big slouchy sweaters, jeans, beanies, floppy hats…the list goes on. But, most importantly what coat am I going to bring.
I stumbled upon this website Sheinside.com a couple of months ago and was astounded at how cheap the prices are-of course with cheap prices does not always come great quality…but I thought I would give it a shot.

I purchased this (bottom right) beige faux wool lined jacket(in hopes of going somewhere cold) for very cheap and hoped for the best-it caught my eye because it looks almost identical to the very expensive designer ACNE jacket I have been loving for weeks now. Well, after about to two weeks (it comes from China and then there was snow storm delay, so don't expect anything asap) I received my jacket. It fits great-the faux wool is not the absolute softest but is definitely okay and since I will be wearing a long sleeve shirt or sweater of some sort underneath it will be super warm. The quality is pretty great, especially for spending less than $40, I think it will be durable while bearing the cold temperatures-i will have a report back after my trip-but all in all I am happy with the price and quality.

I looked on Sheinside again today during one of my online stops and I think these three other coats/parkas-that are similar to coats/parkas I already have-make great options for a cold weather trip to the city:

Black Faux Fur Coat : (bottom left) I think people automatically assume Oh fur coat goes over fancy dress or going out clothes-which it does-but I like to wear my faux fur with skinny jeans, converse, and a graphic sweater for something different.

Black and White makes Gray Coat : (top right) This is the nice coat that goes with everything. You can dress it up, dress it down, wear it to work etc. The black and white stitching almost makes it like a gray coat when the two colors blend but at the same time you can just match black or white or any color really. It is clean cut a ready to go with anything.

The Army Green Super Comfy Parka : (top left) Now this is the comfiest and (in my opinion) warmest to wear. It is the first one to grab when your going to run errands, travel, just walk around, could be for casual work places, oh yeah and if its going to rain! 

So, some of you must be wondering how I have the right to say where, when, and how to wear these different coats if I live in South Florida. Well, I was born and raised in the good ole 954 but, besides multiple vacations to cold places for at most a week at a time which would then still not give me any room to talk...I was lucky enough to live(and hopefully moving back soon!) in London for five months right in the peak of winter-so to tell you I had to learn how to dress for living in a cold city, and I had to learn fast, would be an understatement.

How do you guys dress your coats?


Friday, February 14, 2014

Happy Valentine's Day!!-Three Outfits for Day and Night


 Happy Valentines Day!! Hope your day is filled with love all around-family, friends, significant others, pets, chocolate(or in my case pasta) <3 
I actually had a day off work today so I decided to be festive in running my errands and throw on this light pink SUPER soft and comfy/slouchy Brandy Melville Hoodie, my absolute Favorite pair of boyfriend jeans(I think I wear them everyday) from Target, yes Target! (similar here), and since I see leopard flats as a staple-my NEW favorite leopard flats from Nine West (I also have in black, great basic flats that are super comfy)

For my first option of a night-time Valentine's look I went with this very colorfully patterned bodycon dress from my favorite hometown boutique-Etiquette. Another great find from the LF sale with these Jeffrey Campbell Cutout Booties (link to Nordstroms). And my all time favorite black vegan leather jacket and essential staple from Urban Outfitters last year(similar here).

For my second option of a night-time Valentine's look I went with the cold weather option. A great find from my dads side of the parents closet-a big red comfy sweater. My favorite basic black wax skinny pants-again from Etiquette boutique. And my birthday treat to myself last year-these versatile dressy and can be worn casual BCBG Generation Cynthia Pumps- I wear these ALL the time, they have taken over as my basic black pump and I seem to always get compliments on them :)

Got to run to wine & dine with my girls tonight!

Let me know your favorite look!

Sunday, February 9, 2014

I'm Wearing Red Today


This red dress is one of my Favorite basic pieces. It can be dressed down like I'm wearing it this casual Sunday or throw on some heels-a big necklace and go dancing in it. Today I'm wearing basic black cut out booties that I wear with everything-and being from South Florida the cut outs let in a little air! My favorite basic chambray light jean colored button down tied around my waist, an old old long pendant necklace from BP in Nordstroms, and of course my CK side bag.
I love wearing this red dress today though in honor of heart disease in women and for Wear Red Day. So when you are getting dressed for dinner, maybe a Sunday night movie out and ice cream, or maybe you are going to sit on the couch and watch the Beatles salute like me-go throw some red on and support national Wear Red Day!

Saturday, February 8, 2014

In Honor of the Olympics(Not Really, I Just Love Them)

(Click on picture for link)

Seriously though, how great was the opening ceremony for the Sochi Winter Olympics last night! As a former ballet dancer I am biased to the absolutely beautiful waltz scene and pointe routines that Russia certainly started and brought to the world. Every set was amazing with all the mock buildings from Moscow and the montage of the little girl following her dreams in Russia was a beautiful story line. But, to me the most impressive thing were those 3D graphic projections on the floor! Did the athletes actually walk out of their home country, was Peter the Great actually on that ship, were those soldiers marching on an actual map?-I mean come on they were out of this world! The President of the IOC gave a brilliant motivating, politically neutral, and peaceful speech. Oh and how could I forget-the torch being lit outside of the stadium was breathtaking, such a beautiful idea for all to see.

So obviously I decided to wear my favorite Nike Thea Air Max's today because I'm such an athlete…..a girl can dream. They are so comfy and because they are basic black and white I have dressed them up before(future outfits with how to wear these great basics in multiple ways coming soon)!

And I guess I should tell you that I had to wear sneakers today because we had our Make-A-Wish 5K this morning, which I am proud to say was super super successful, but most of all rewarding. Now, after waking up at 5:30 this morning-this girl is heading to take a nap!

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Wearing my Throwback Thursday


 



(Click on picture for link)

Well, its about that time of night again. After a long day of event planning at Make-A-Wish, I have to change out of my "business wear" and head to class. 
Now let's be real, I wear booties pretty much every day and for every occasion-so when I visited the LF sale of the fall/winter '13 season this past week, I automatically looked down at the floor to see if they had any booties left in size 7(of course wearing the most common size out leaves for lack of options so thats why I made a point to get to the sale in the first three days-with booties on my mind). Well I stumbled upon these black Dolce Vita booties and have not taken them off since. They are super comfortable, a great black basic, with a little height(the heel looks higher in the picture than it actually is). 
For work today I wore my basic Forever 21 gray babydoll dress with my new booties, my favorite black, tan, and white Calvin Klein crossbody that I got for my birthday, and a turquoise cross necklace, with my everyday short gold necklace, stackable gold H&M rings, and my favorite Lat & Lo  gold cuff. 
Now, heading to class I have the comfiest basic Asos lightwash high-waisted jeans on, my "throwback" t-shirt of Jim Morrison of The Doors(yes I actually like The Doors and as much as I wish this shirt was vintage, I absolutely got it from Delias-they have some great graphic tees,ok!), my Calvin Klein crossbody, the same jewelry from the day, and of course kept my new booties on. 
It is great that these booties can be transitioned from day-to-night, dressy-to-casual. Another GREAT basic to add to the collection!