You and a Guest are Cordially Invited to My Arm Party

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As you all know, my sister got married this past weekend! I’m going to save blogging about the actual wedding until Lauren gets her professional pictures back so that it can really be done justice. In the mean time, I’d like to invite you to a little side party I hosted:

My dress was a combo of dark and light blue, hence the color scheme. Lauren let us choose our own dresses and accessories because she is the coolest bride ever. This allowed us to show our personality a little and I felt comfortable going kind of bold because Lauren isn’t a subtle girl herself.

Bracelets were collected over time, which made it like a fun treasure hunt.

From left to right (unfortunately, most aren’t online): Juicy Couture, Ann Taylor, Bloomingdale’s Outlet, Kohls.

Hope you enjoyed the party, thanks for coming!

Sister Sister Fashion Show at Lunch

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I interrupt my lack of posting (resuming next week – promise!) to bring you this special message: MY SISTER IS GETTING MARRIED TOMORROW! I am crazy excited. I’m actually so excited that I almost don’t want it to happen because then it will be over. I’ll have to do a post of the aftermath because this will be the most creative, fun, fashion-forward event of the century. In the mean time, I’d like to take it back to our roots for a moment. All credit for this fashion show goes to our mom, who made all of our dresses for us on her sewing machine!

After this, we stilled dressed alike but only in Looney Tunes XL apparel, so I’ll stop now.

Happy pre-wedding day, Lauren!

DIY Anthropologie Colorblocked Shades

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Though I do enjoy the finer things in life, when it comes to sunglasses I think I enjoy the cheapo plastic pairs equally to the designer variety. Everyone could use a few dumb pairs of retro sunnies in an overly distracting color, right?

Right. Like these Colorblocked Shades from Anthropologie:

I love these. The pop of orange, the on-trend color blocking and the wayfarer shape are all winners. At $38, they’re pretty reasonable – but not as reasonable as DIY-ing them with the super-cheap pair I already had at home. As soon as I saw these Anthropolgie shades I thought of the pair I bought a few summers ago:

They’re…fine. I bought them because they were something like $5 and I liked the shape, which is very close to the Anthropologie shades to begin with.

Time for an upgrade! To start, I covered the frames with a paper towel (to protect the lenses) and wrapped it all up in foil, leaving just the earpieces exposed. A normal person might have used painters tape, but I was running low. This baked potato contraption actually worked out perfectly.

Plastic is a tricky thing to paint and I didn’t want my shades to start chipping and peeling, so I began by spraying them with a white primer. Next, I used gold spray paint on just the ends. The Anthropologie version is more of a nude color, but I was feeling metallic. Once that dried I brushed a thin coat of bright peachy-orange acrylic paint over the rest. Tip: THIN coats are key. I finished it off with a coat of clear varnish to (hopefully) prevent chipping.

The results:

Ready for summer!

How to Wear Metallic Zebra Print

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You read that right. I finally wore a skirt I’ve been trying to wear for two years and I owe it all to chambray. I think my next Fashion Show at Lunch post will have to feature this genius shirt in three ways. It’s just so comfy and easy and versatile. I think by now we can all add chambray shirts to our wardrobes with confidence that this isn’t just a trend, but a staple piece – it’s really the resurgence of a classic, the combination of a basic button down and all-American denim. I say it’s here to stay. Wranglers is like, “Yeah, no duh.”

I wore this on Friday night, first to an event at Ann Taylor with my friends Kari and Joan and then to the MCA for one of their First Friday events with Todd:

Chambray shirt: J.Crew, Skirt: BCBG Generation.

I bought this skirt during a sale about two years ago, and this is the FIRST time I’ve ever worn it. I’m not happy about that – I am not one to buy something and let it sit. But I mean, it’s a metallic, zebra-print skirt. Who am I? I remember thinking I would wear it for New Year’s Eve. But then I remembered that I hate New Year’s Eve. My goal is to spend it in the most casual, least invasive way possible – not on my couch, but as close to that as I can get. Like on a friend’s couch. So a metallic, zebra-print skirt is probably unnecessary.

Until we enter the chambray shirt. I gave it as a gift to myself during J.Crew’s site-wide Black Friday sale and have to recommend it because it’s so soft and comfy, but you can easily find your own less expensive version (Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters and Old Navy, for example). Chambray works so perfectly with metallics, sequins, bold colors and all the crazy stuff you want to wear but need to tone down in some way. Thank you, chambray.

Styling Sesh

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One of the coolest things to me is finding out when someone I haven’t met before (and therefore did not coerce into reading this) likes my blog! One of my sister’s co-workers (hi, Karli!) emailed Lauren to ask if I would give her styling advice. Karli is a new mom and I think just basically felt like she was in a style rut. Many women wear the same “safe” styles over and over again – they’re tired of it, but feel stuck because it’s hard to try something new. Some people just need a lil push!

Lauren set up a day for us all to go to Camden Boutique in Elmhurst, which is our favorite boutique that I’ve mentioned before. A few of Lauren’s other co-workers joined us so we had a big group: Karli, Laura, Val and Lauren D. I asked the girls to pick out things they liked but might normally not have chosen, and with lots of help from Dee (Camden’s owner and our very good friend!), we styled the girls in different looks to give everyone a better idea of how one piece could turn into multiple outfits.

With Karli, the thing I was most excited about was getting her into skinny jeans. She thought she couldn’t wear them! Most untrue statement ever. A nice pair of dark wash skinny jeans can be flattering on basically every body shape. Of course, what you wear with them makes all the difference. A long, belted, blousy top is super flattering, as Karli demonstrates:

Cute, right? Simple yet stylish. Next is Laura, who has an upcoming trip to Vegas planned. This dress is perfect for nightlife:

Laura looks great in this dress (if only I had the right shoes)! As you can see in the picture, the necklace comes attached but is actually removable. This, along with the fact that the dress is a soft, almost sweatshirt-like material, makes it extremely versatile. So many possibilities! This is what I live for. Look at some of the ways we found to wear it:

Now, Val. Val is one of those girls who looks good in everything she tries on. Fact. I love this denim shirt dress on her, which soft and comfy and can easily be accessorized in a million ways:

Tip: When a dress comes with its own belt, trying changing it out. Instant upgrade. I also love how the scarf in the second picture changes everything. I like the legging/boot combo in the second picture (wardrobe staple) but the one thing I’d change about the first look is to do bare legs so the leggings aren’t cutting at the calf. My sister also owns this dress and I will be asking and/or begging to borrow it from her.

Lastly we have Lauren D., who tried on this orange dress by Bella Dahl, the same designer as the dress above. I love a dress like this because it’s easy to throw on and can act as a blank canvas when you’re up for accessorizing a little more. In the second look, I unbuttoned a grey top and layered it over the dress with a leopard print belt.

Lauren D. also tried a pair of these great faded, salmon-colored jeans that I was obsessed with. I love colored denim and although it can be intimidating at first, it won’t seem that way when everyone is wearing them this spring. Colored denim for all!

I love this picture and everyone looks really great, but Lauren D. in the printed top with those colored jeans – so, SO good. It’s just a little more unexpected and takes the style up to the next level.

So that was a little taste of our shopping trip! I loved hanging out with all the girls and special thanks to my co-stylist Dee and Lauren for all your help (who you can’t see here because she took all the pictures, thanks Lauren!).

Most of what you see here can be bought online at CamdenBoutique.com. If you’re in the Chicago area, you must check out her store in downtown Elmhurst. Dee and I are hoping to work an event together soon, so be on the lookout for more on that!

Oscar Nails

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Even though Pinterest regularly points out to me that nothing I’ve done in the past has been remotely creative, cool or interesting, I absolutely love it. As a Pinterest troller, I see the same trends pop up over and over – and one that’s been catching my eye lately? Nail art! What have I been thinking, walking around all this time with naked nails? My nails are a completely untapped accessory resource.

I decided to start simple, since I’ve never tried anything other than solid colors (which can be a feat in itself). I was inspired by this image on Miss Ladyfinger’s blog – easy enough and I liked the idea of transitioning from one color to another. In honor of the Oscars, I decided to go with black (-ish…OPI’s Lincoln Park After Dark) and gold (OPI’s Glitzerland).

Thankfully, this little project was pretty simple. You could try painters tape to block off half of your ring finger, but free-handing it landed up being easier for me. (Painters tape tends to betray me, anyway). With a steady hand it wasn’t as hard as I was afraid it might be to paint the second half of the nail. Just make sure to paint the gold half first and use two coats. The black easily covers up the gold to ensure you get a clean, straight line.

The best thing about this design is that you only have to fully concentrate on the ring finger, since the rest of your nails are just painted as normal. I’m happy with how they turned out and am excited to try this out with different colors. I especially think this would look great with like colors – orange transitioning to red, nude transitioning to pink, etc.

Give it a try and send me aicture if you do! If you want more nail art inspiration, I love Miss Ladyfinger and Chalkboard Nails.

And speaking of Pinterest, I’ve been trying to add a button so that should you feel inclined, you can easily pin things from this blog. Hopefully that will be up soon. Happy pinning!

Fashion Show at Lunch: Shift Dress 3 Ways

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In this latest addition of my Kelly Kapoor inspired Fashion Show at Lunch Series, I’ve styled this French Connection dress three different ways. I’ve had this dress for several years now and I still love it – I just needed to find new ways to style it so I didn’t get bored.

Even if you don’t have this exact dress, you probably have a similar shift-style dress or tunic in your close that could be worn in similar ways. Let’s begin, shall we?

1. As a Belted Dress

This is how I’ve worn this dress dozens of times. Everything about this outfit appeals to me – comfy dress, belted, leggings and boots. This is very me. In fact, if you know me, you’ve likely seen me in this.

2. As a Top

I know! Let me just say, it’s actually not my brilliant idea to shove a dress down my pants. I received this tip years ago from a fashionable friend and since then see it being done all over the place. This outfit is tried and true – I wore it to work one day and got not one, but two compliments on my “top.” Tucking opens up a whole new world of options, but not all dresses will work, of course – most won’t, actually. This one is perfect because it’s a thin material and on the short side. There isn’t much fabric to tuck in so there isn’t any bunching. Skirts can work instead of jeans, too.

If you’re nervous, just throw a long cardigan over it. Don’t be scared, give tucking a try!

3. As a Skirt

This is the one way I hadn’t worn this dress yet – as a skirt. I chose a chunky sweater to layer over the top and added a belt for some shape. I LOVE this outfit. Love, love, love. It’s now my favorite – probably because it’s a new style for me, which makes me feel like I’m wearing a brand new outfit. Because duh, Barney Stinson’s oldest rule: New is always better.

What do you guys think? Which is your favorite? Would you give tucking a chance?

Fashion Quotes That Actually Make You Feel Good

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I love fashion, but there comes a point when it goes and turns on you. Body image, income, judgment – it all takes a toll. I’ve collected a few quotes from people I admire who might just make you feel a little better about the world and how you choose to present yourself in it.

Adele

“I like having my hair and face done, but I’m not going to lose weight because someone tells me to. I make music to be a musician not to be on the cover of Playboy.”

I love that Adele is who she is. I’m bored of looking at tween pop stars in short dresses. Adele let’s her voice speak for itself – but inconsequentially she is really, really beautiful.

Tim Gunn

“Not to sound disparaging toward anyone, but when people cite J.Crew as budget shopping—it really isn’t.”

Amen, Tim. What is with the onslaught of magazines and fashion figures using J.Crew as their budget buy? Give me a break. Anyone who knows me knows I love Tim Gunn and this quote is from an interview with him (one of the most delightful experiences of my life). I won’t argue that many things in fashion are worth the investment, but there is no reason to make the people living in the real world feel like crap.


Nicole Chavez, Rachel Bilson’s Stylist

“I like to think about what would feel different, to the point where someone would stop me and say, ‘I wouldn’t have done that.’ Trying to push the envelope is fun, because you want people talking, and you want people to take notice. There are no rules. There are suggestions, but there are definitely no rules. So have fun with fashion.”

I became a Rachel Bilson fan in her O.C. days and the genius that was Season 1. The girl’s got great style and I like this quote from her stylist on Refinery29 because it’s a reminder that fashion should be fun. If you take it too seriously and are more concerned about being judged than expressing yourself, then it’s not.

Advanced Style
Lastly, I leave you with this video from Advanced Style. This incredible street style blog features older women who just plain rock. There are a millions great little lessons in here that lead to the conclusion that again, fashion should be fun.

TOMS Ballet Flats are Here

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Finally!

The new (and highly anticipated) ballet flats went on sale today on TOMS.com and are available for presale on Nordstrom.com (which offers free shipping, but they won’t ship until March 1st).

Tip: Reviews of the ballet flats are good so far, but the consensus is to order 1/2 size down because they run a tad large.

Aren’t they cute?

In case you don’t know the history, TOMS was formed after it’s founder took a trip to South America. He saw children living in poor conditions without shoes to protect their feet and decided to do something about it. He reinvented the traditional Argentine alpargata shoe and for every pair someone buys, a pair is donated to a child in need.

The fact that this shoe gained so much popularity, not through trends and fashion magazines but through benevolence and  word of mouth, is so inspiring and uplifting. My sister might wear TOMS at her wedding, which is awesome. I actually do like the style of the classic TOMS for what they symbolize and think they make much more of a statement than the ballet flats ever will — but the ballet flats are just so feminine and wearable! It’s a win-win.

I’m going to wait until it’s actually spring to buy these. Until then, I’ll be debating which color to get. I’m currently feeling the rose linen:

Are you buying TOMS ballet flats? What color??

 

Lululemon Warehouse Sale

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I just got back from the Lululemon Warehouse Sale in Chicago and I’M ALIVE! I have to say, it went better than I expected. I went with my friend Rachel – here’s our haul:

Some details for all of you going this weekend:

Outfit
First things first – you need the perfect sample sale outfit. I wore leggings, old sneakers that are easy to slip on and off, a cami and a long cardigan with zipped pockets for my phone, id and money. It made things super easy to try on.

Line
We got to the sale a little after 1pm and waited somewhere around 1-1.5 hours in line. It really wasn’t that bad after all the hype I’d heard – it felt like the line moved quickly. However, it seems people who got to the sale between 9am-11am got hit with the hardest lines and waited closer to 3 hours (yikes).

The line is a one in, one out situation, so once you’re inside the sale it never feels overcrowded. No need to throw ‘bows or anything. Although I did stalk a worker who was wheeling out a brand new rack of clothes in my size. A pack of us immediately swarmed her – so yeah, that got a little weird.

When we were leaving the sale around 4pm, there was barely a line – seriously, like a 10 minute wait. Very surprising, but going later in the day could be an interesting strategy to try.

Pants
All long pants are $55 and cropped pants are $45. Everything is organized by size, so it makes it easy. If you’re looking for Groove pants (like I was) they have tons of cropped styles but long Groove pants in black were harder to come by (I refuse to get grey as anything other than black emphasizes areas that do not need to be emphasized). I did find a pair in my size though with my hawk eyes. They have tons of Astro pants and other styles. No Wunder Unders, though.

I haven’t previously owned Lululemon pants because I couldn’t bring myself to shell out the cash for them. I was having a conversation with Rachel about what size I should get because I felt I could go either way, and multiple women in the dressing room overheard us (you get friendly pretty fast in this kind of situation). If you’re in between sizes, they said to always size down in Lululemon pants. If they’re even slightly too big, you’ll be pulling them up during your workout. Ugh.

Tops
Lots of cute tops. They get a little “samey” after awhile (they basically had 15 styles or so in different colors, so you see the same ones over and over) but I liked the selection, so I’m not complaining. All tops are $36.

Accessories
Rachel picked up a yoga towel ($9), a cute bag for her mom ($49) and a hooded scarf that I might be regretting not purchasing right now ($9). I didn’t see any headbands left, but those were supposedly $4. Sports bras are $22 and they have tons. They also have water bottles, socks and probably some other things, but I wasn’t that interested in the accessories, to be honest.

Scuba Sweatshirts
These are right up in front and $70. I wasn’t interested and didn’t even really look at these, but Rachel found a cute grey one with sparkles – very her.

Men’s
If you’re a guy, I wouldn’t bother with this sale. Granted, I didn’t really look, but it was definitely weak.

Tutus
Apparently Lululemon sells tutus in their stores, which must not have done well (um, for the obvious reason?) because they were giving them away for free in line. While standing in line, if a worker asks if you want to participate in a competition, say yes. You’ll get a free tutu for doing whatever it is. Rachel and I did a plank competition. It nearly killed me (while seemingly not phasing the crazy lady next to us who wanted to keep going) but hey, we got free tutus! It retails for $98 (that sh*t cray) and they were also selling them for $29 at the sale if you really want one.

And no, of course I have no idea what I’m going to do with this tutu now.

Dressing Room
It’s community. Same as any other sample sale. There were a decent amount of mirrors, but as usual there should have been twice as many. There is no limit to the amount you can bring in, so I say load up your arms so you only have to go in once. Note: You have to take the hangers off all of your items before you go in, which is annoying.

Pricing

So that’s it! I’m assuming Saturday and Sunday will be more crowded, but I think it’s worth it – within reason. Don’t go crazy, because even though prices were about 50% off, it all still adds up. Fast. I definitely held back and ended up with two pairs of pants and two tops, and I’m a happy lil clam right now.

Uh, I guess this means I have to work out now.