for the love of clothes

tee, Victoria Secret; dress, Target; boots, Steve Madden; watch, Fossil

Happy Hump Day, dear readers! This week has been a busy one. I've got some pretty cool stuff in the pipeline, but it will probably be next week before I get a chance to share.  So, I thought I'd leave you with some outfit photos that I found on my computer. I took these a couple of weekends ago. You might remember this dress from here - which got me thinking. . .  I have noticed that despite a somewhat decent size collection of clothes I have a tendency to wear some of the same articles of clothing repeatedly. One, because I genuinely love them and two, because there are certain pieces in my wardrobe that my mind has decided should be reserved for specific events.  This comes despite the fact that I would love to wear said pieces on a more routine basis.  I thought The Clothes Horse discussed this topic quite nicely yesterday, and I couldn't agree with her more. So please tell me dear readers, what do you do to avoid neglecting certain articles of clothing in your wardrobe?

Prep

shades, Ralph Lauren; blazer, vintage; tee, Old Navy; vest, Gap;

watch, Fossil; jeans, Revolt; oxfords, vintage; bag, Jessica Simpson

Sunday I finally started to feel some relief from my cold.  However, since a 'bout of cabin fever had now started to set in, I decided to get out of the house for a while.  Besides, even if I hadn't been feeling better - the sun was finally out!  I mean look at this picture - I have a shadow!  Despite it being a little bit warmer outside, I still couldn't bring myself to go without long sleeves and long pants (I had been running a fever all weekend).  So, I rolled up my jeans and took a hard left at Prepsterville.  Several hours of shopping, three cups of java, and a late lunch with my BFF later, and I felt almost as good as new!

stole the show.

I'm guessing that you know exactly who I'm refering to by the title of this post. Saturday was a cold and raining day, but in between showers I snuck outside to snap a few photos.  This was the first time I've ever attempted photos in the backyard while our two kiddles (a rat terrier named Selwyn and a black lab named Haleigh) were running around.  I wasn't sure exactly how it was going to go, but I thought I'd give it a whirl.  You can see that I didn't get many (okay, any) photos by myself.  But that's okay, because these two are awfully cute. In fact, I think I might have to incorporate them into more posts.  Oh yeah and about my outfit - because it was wet and cold I thought I'd give the Uggs a little more love before putting them away for the season.

better late than never

I don't usually post this late in the day, but I haven't felt the best in the last 24 hours.  So, after several doses of NyQuil resulting in nearly 18 hours of sleep, I finally feel like looking at something other than the back of my eyelids.  Regardless, I did want to round out the week with a few things that made it a little bit brighter.  The first is the shirt you see above. I am in love with the vintage Barbie graphic on this tank.  I found it several years back while shopping at Target (of all places!). The graphic adds an interesting little detail to just about any outift.  I would show you the entire outfit, but I took this picture yesterday evening after taking the most annoying exam ever, and the look on my face shows it.  Trust me, the tank is all you really need to see.  

While outside taking my outfit photos, I also came across this....

The first signs of spring in my yard! These yellow buds will turn into gorgeous daffodils in a few short weeks when they open up!

And, finally thank you to Emily of pamja libri for the blog award! This is the first award I've received and I couldn't think of a better lady from which to receive the award.  And, in the spirit of giving I will give it to another fantastic bloggette - Gracey Loo of Money Smart Fashion. 

Happy weekend, dear readers! I'll see you on The Flip Side!

What do you think?

Since I spent the majority of the night procrastinating studying for my Supply Chain exam, it seemed only logical to instead work on redesigning the blog.  What do you think?  Do you give it two thumbs up?

PS - can you tell I spent some time in Photoshop?

stuck in the middle with you

Thankfully the snow from the weekend is melting quickly, and since the sun is back to making an appearance in the mornings, I finally get to wear something other than sweater dresses and scarves to work. However, I will admit that being stuck in between seasons can be sartorially challenging for me - especially during this time of year. I find myself hesitant of bearing open toes without tights. And, I am still restraining myself from wearing too many sheer fabrics for fear of Mother Nature reverting back to cooler temperatures at some point in the day. Yesterday, layering was the perfect solution which meant I was able to go without my trench between work and class. A shirt dress and cardigan paired with leggings and boots (because let's face it - it was 30 degrees in the morning) was appropriate attire for both morning and afternoon. The only thing I would have liked better was a little more color. Maybe next week my goal should be pastels…

funk.

shades, Payless sample; jacket, Kohls $13; scarf, Payless sample;

shirt, TJ Maxx $5; jeans, Kohls $6; boots, Payless $15

Ever have those days when the motivation to crawl out of bed doesn't come so easy? I call those my funk days. Well, today I had a funk day. Maybe my funk is due to the fact that we received yet another snow storm over the weekend.  Did you catch that in the background?  Dear Mother Nature, it's me Gracie.  Did you forget that it's almost April?!

Regardless of the reason, on funk days I spend a little more time than usual thinking about my clothing choice. I knew that in order to crawl my way out of my funk today I needed to have fun with my outfit.

And, look at that... I think its working! I see a hint of a smile after all...

Meet Our Green Side Table

Remember several weeks back (or maybe a month, but who's really keeping track...) I decided to paint an old side table and put it somewhere in the house? Well, I finally did it and the end result is perfection!  After just a few days of coming home from work and applying several coats of paint, we now have a super cute bright green side table in our living room! I love the pop of bright color that the table adds to our living space.

The before shot. I forgot to get a picture before applying primer to the top. You can imagine what it looked like though... same dingy brown color.

After the first coat of primer. The shelf on the bottom tested what little patience I have.  And, I had to turn it over to get to the bottom of the legs.  I did this both on the second coat of primer and the second coat of green paint.

My husband nearly passed out when he saw my color choice :) 

After my first coat of paint. Again... must. demonstrate. patience.

And, the final product!

A Beautiful Friday

I was browsing my photos on my computer when I came across these taken on the last day of our honeymoon.  We had just departed our cruise ship in San Juan, Puerto Rico and decided to walk around the old town area for a couple of hours before heading to the airport.  I fell in love with the architecture and vibrant colors.  Not to mention, aren't the balconies and flowerpots just darling?  Remembering these photos made my Friday a little more beautiful.  I hope it will do the same for yours.  Happy weekend!

A Taste of McQueen

cropped blazer, McQ by Alexander McQueen for Target; dress, Target;

tights, Payless sample; shoes, Steve madden; necklace, me

Do you have an article of clothing or an accessory in your wardrobe that you are grateful you purchased because you know the opportunity will never come back?  Right now, this cropped blazer is that piece in my wardrobe.  I bought this about a year ago when Alexander McQueen did a line for Target.  I've always loved his work, but sadly enough could never afford it.  While it may not be as flashy as his couture line, it is my little piece of what he brought to fashion. 

Seeing Green

Cardigan and tee, Old Navy; scarf, Payless sample; skirt, Old Navy; tights, Target; oxfords, thrifted

I actually wore this outfit Sunday evening to my in-laws for a genuine St. Patty's Day feast consisting of corned beef and cabbage.  The scarf was my feeble attempt to not get pinched.  I thought that since today is St. Patty's Day, it would serve as an appropriate post.  Dear readers, I hope you are having a great day, and possibly enjoying a little green beer :)

Grace Squared

Remember a couple of posts back when I wrote that the best part of blogging is finding fashion inspiration from other blogettes?  While I still believe that to be true, I now also believe that meeting these fantastic gals is just as important and inspirational.  You see, this week I was fortunate enough to meet one fan-tab-u-los-o fashionista, and she just happens to have a pretty awesome name, too.  If you haven't already been there, go see Grace of Money Smart Fashion - you will not regret it.  

PS - Thanks for the sweet shout out, Grace! 

"I Scream, You Scream..."

Of course you know the rest...

However, after the deliciousness I enjoyed last night, I think the proper cheer would go something like: "I Scream, you scream, we all scream for Dairy Queen!"  Come on! Who doesn't love a cup full of soft serve - I mean, really?! Fortunately (or unfortunately as the case may be for my waist line), we have a Dairy Queen right down the street.  No... seriously. It's within walking distance. So, last night the hubbs and I rounded up the kiddles and went for a walk down to our fav after dinner spot.  I won't bore you with pics of my outfit because I would hardly call my North Face fleece, Uggs and the hubbie's Adidas sweatpants anything to write home about.  Instead, I'll just leave you with the best part of my evening... the DQ Blizzard. 

A Strawberry Cheesequake Blizzard is the wonderfulness pictured above and here.  The combination of soft serve ice cream, strawberries, graham cracker crust and cheesecake never gets old. It was slightly melting when we got home, which I think is the best part.

How To Wear: Nude Tones

Happy Monday, dear readers! I am excited to bring to you The Flip Side's first ever joint post! Emalee of pamja libri and I have been working on this post for a couple of weeks now and we think we have put together something very special to start your week off right. 

New Season Nude by pamjalibri featuring Givenchy jewelry

Items in this set:

Meadow Peplum Tunic, $80

origami cropped jacket, 55 GBP

Leather leggings, $875

Heeled Buckle Ankle Boot, 30 GBP

Imoni Biker Ladies Gloves, $85

blouse, vintage $5; tube top, Express $10; harm pants, DIY shiney tuxedo pants $110;

pumps, Steve Madden $90; ring and clutch, Payless samples

As you know, nude tones are huge for spring.  You've already seen me wear my nude Steve Madden platform pumps here and here.  Well, I pulled the 'ole girls out of the shoe closet for yet another outfit (hello, they go with everything!).  Pictured above are our two suggestions for wearing nude tones.  The key is to anchor the outfit with at least one article of darker colored clothing.  This helps prevent looking too washed out.  Emalee illustrates this quite nicely in an edgier look by incorporating black leather leggings, ankle boots and a cropped jacket. For me, I chose a pair of DIY black harem pants.  Regardless of the look you choose, you can't go wrong this spring by rocking nude tones. 

Gaga.

Anyone who knows me, knows I have a slight obsession with Lady Gaga.  I think she's fantastic.  Albeit, a bit weird at times, but I think we all could say that about ourselves at some point or another.  What I love about her is the fact that she follows her dreams and doesn't care what others think.  She is very passionate about her work and is extrodinarily grateful for her fans.  Needless to say I am pumped about her new video, so I felt the need to share. 

Enjoy!

glowing

Remember when I purchased this beauty?  Well, I finally have something equally as beautiful to put in it.  My oh-so-fab-u-los-o mother-in-law purchased these from Olathe Glass Company last weekend.  (side note: love that store!) I am infatuated with these little flower lights! It gives the room just a subtle hint of light... perfection!

gray with a hint of sun.

The weather all week has been gray, with a little hint of the sun peeking through every now and then. My outfit choice today reminded me of that.

On a side note: these two lovely necklaces are still available for sale in the shop. They are great worn separately or paired together like I styled them today. Stop by and pick one (or two!) up, or just peruse the other items available for sale. I have more items coming to the store soon, so stay tuned!

Give Yourself Wings $11.55 and Wings Charm Necklace $10.50

Bad Hair Days

Hat, Payless sample; Shirt, vintaged; Vest, Forever 21 $11; Jeans, Levi's $30; Shoes, Target $15

Over the weekends, I don't normally spend much time on my hair.  Fortunately hats serve a practical purpose, such as keeping the sun out of your eyes or preventing your hair from becoming overly tangled when riding in a convertible (can you tell what I've been doing a lot of lately?).  Hats also serve an asthetic purpose like saving people from seeing my hair on days like today.  I thought this one paired nicely with the look I ended up sporting. 

inspiration.

The thing about inspiration is that it sometimes strikes at weird times. And then there are times when it doesn't strike at all... so, you have to go find it. That's one of the biggest benefits of being a part of the blogging community - there is always something inspiring to find. Last night I was catching up on my blog roll when I found this post from Clothed Much, which came from inspiration she found in another blog, which gave me inspiration for my outfit today.  Simple, perfect, and the inspiration behind exactly what I never ever knew I wanted to wear today. Sometimes what you’re looking for is so obvious that you can’t find it without a little help from others.

Dreaming of Spring

The Chanel Cowgirl by gleighb featuring ASOS shoulder bags

Our recent bout of nice weather has really made me fall in love with pastels and florals again.  I would totally rock this outfit if I could afford the $2200 Chanel Vintage Heirloom Shoulder Bag (choke!). I guess I'll just wear my Steve Madden Cowboy boots and call it a day!

Inspired by: Asian Fusion

The Inspiration

Marc Jacobs Brocade Jacket

My Version

Last week I was browsing one of my all-time favorite fashion blogs - Who What Wear -when I saw something that got me really excited: Asian influenced clothing.  You see, about a month ago the hubbie and I spent several days in DC with his aunt and uncle.  During our visit, his aunt was generous enough to let me peruse her closet for items that I might like.  That was when she introduced me to this beautiful jacket that she purchased while they were living in Japan.  I love the beautiful detailing, and the quality is surperb.  Not that the Marc Jacobs Brocade Jacket above isn't gorgeous... but I like to think mine has a special "umph" that you can't purchase from a store.