outfit of the day: keep it simple

May282013

A simple white t-shirt, boyfriend jeans and a hat for an easy weekend look  IMG_9077 copy

LOFT tee (similar) • LOFT boyfriend jeans • Stella & Dot sunset beach charm necklace • Chaco sandals (similar) • Banana Republic hat (old, similar here)

 Oh what a glorious weekend. Yesterday was Memorial Day in the U.S., which meant no work and jeans. Even though it wasn’t quite as warm as I’d have liked it (my poor legs need some sun!), I still had a wonderful weekend with family and friends. Memorial Day feels like the kickoff to summer, and I can’t wait for the fun I have planned in the coming months. I found this hat on sale last July and have barely worn it – and I’m not going to let that happen this year! Weekends are all about being comfortable – after stressing myself out over what to wear to a family luncheon, I realized it shouldn’t matter. These may not be my prettiest sandals, but they’re darn functional and comfy. Sometimes an outfit is just an outfit, and I don’t need to be making a statement with everything I wear.

Unless that statement happens to be, “I love this hat.” Because I do.

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Meghan of Whatsername Jewelry

It’s time to introduce my third sponsor, Meghan of Whatsername Jewelry! Meghan’s shop is full of stamped and personalized jewelry and other pieces – you’ll have trouble picking out just one! Meghan has a GREAT giveaway coming later this week – stay tuned!

Name: Meghan Haskell
Where you live: Providence, Rhode Island
Favorite foods: That’s a toughie.  I love to eat and my tastes change often.  Sometimes I go for weeks eating lots of Honey Wheat Pretzels then I stop eating them completely and go for Doritos or Baked Cheetos.  I also love ice cream, chocolate chip cookie dough or cookies and cream.  Oh my gosh, I ‘m getting hungry.
What would you do with a free afternoon: Since having my daughter, my afternoons, and mornings, have been focused on her, so if I had a free afternoon, I would work.  I would head to a coffee shop, surf the net and read my favorite blogs, definitely yours, and write a post or two.  Then I would come home, give my little girl a kiss, and make a few pieces of jewelry for my shop.
Current nail polish: None because my hands are constantly near Kira’s mouth and I just feel safer without it on, but if I had to choose a color for this time of year for my nails, I’d say pink.  A nice light bubble gum pink.
Favorite music on your iPod: Baby Einstein…it’s funny, I now have children’s tunes like The Itsy Bitsy Spider stuck in my head but I really like Jay-Z to help me stay upbeat and motivated and  there is nothing like some Fergie and Black Eyed Peas to get me dancing with my daughter in the kitchen.
Thank you so much Meghan for sponsoring me! Don’t forget to visit Meghan at her Etsy shop, blog, Facebook and Twitter!
6 Comments Filed Under: outfit of the day, weekend wishlist Tagged With: ,

memorial day

May272013

I’m off work today and thus taking a one-day blogging break. Today is Memorial Day in the U.S., and while you enjoy your time in the sun and shop all the fabulous sales (and you should definitely do both), take a moment to think about those who serve in the military. Whatever country you’re from, the soldiers of yesterday and today deserve our respect and our thanks.

I’m off to Washington, D.C., later in June to bury my grandmother with my grandfather in Arlington, and have been thinking a lot about my grandparents and what they did for us – whether they were fighting overseas or taking care of families back home. Like so many of you, my grandfathers fought in World War II, and I only wish they had gotten to see the memorial in D.C. dedicated to their service. The video below is about honor flights, tours organized by a non-profit organization that flies veterans to D.C. to see the memorials dedicated to them. I’m grateful there are groups like this – and especially to the veterans they serve.

2 Comments Filed Under: family Tagged With:

happy things + a fabulous sponsor!

May242013

My BBF (blogger best friend) Sarah has started a wonderful blogging project called the Happiness Project. All you have to do to participate is blog about what makes you happy – and who doesn’t love to talk about that? Plus we all could use a little more positivity in our lives (at least I know I could!).

roses from my garden

So here is what I am happy about this week. There’s no particular order to any of this, by the way:

  • My new Kate Spade Saturday weekender. If you haven’t heard about Kate Spade Saturday, it’s a new line that’s the younger, more bubbly sister of Kate Spade (think yellow eye shadow and bubble gum pink earrings). I am totally not in the market for a new travel bag, but I couldn’t pass this one up. Plus I have two trips this summer, and you know I’ll be rocking those stripes at the airport at 4 a.m. (god help me)
  • I’ve completed two weeks of Barre Amped classes. Barre classes are a newish exercise class – I’ve heard of Pure Barre and Barre3 as well. A local studio started offering the classes, and for two weeks they have been free. I’ve been struggling to get back into exercise and knew I needed some sort of strength training – and let me tell you, Barre is HARD. Never have I sweated over the tiniest movements. I’m proud of myself for completing five classes – and I just bought a package of 20! Be prepared to hear more about this.
  • My roses are blooming! See photo above.
  • THREE DAY WEEKEND. Need I say more?
  • My boyfriend. He’s been working a difficult assignment for the past few weeks, and I’m so proud of him as he finishes one challenge and moves on to the next!

Thanks Sarah for starting this – and make sure you add your link!

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And now a sponsor info – with a great offer just for my readers!

Favorite Stella & Dot piecesMore favorite Stella & Dot picks: serpeant bangle, Juniper statement necklace and soiree earrings

I’m super excited to introduce you to another of my fabulous sponsors, Mindy Miller from Stella & Dot! Mindy contacted me a few weeks ago about doing a Stella & Dot trunk show – I had so much fun picking out my favorite pieces! Ever since my cousin Frankie gifted me with some Stella & Dot jewelry last Christmas, I have been a fan. And I’m thrilled to let you know that Mindy is offering all my readers FREE SHIPPING for MAY AND JUNE – just contact her with your order, and she’ll arrange the rest! Thank you so much Mindy for this generous offer!

Name: Mindy Miller

Where you live: Midwest

Favorite foods: Grilled cheese; macaroni and cheese (basically anything with cheese)

What would you do with a free afternoon: Right now the weather is so nice and I’d love to have an afternoon patio party with friends.

Current nail polish: OPI Can’t Find my Czechbook

Favorite music on your iPod: Right now I am strangely obsessed with Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke. I’m also loving the new Vampire Weekend album.

Twitter:  @mindymiller77
Thanks so much Mindy for sponsoring me!
6 Comments Filed Under: life Tagged With: ,

outfit of the day: punk floral (plus sponsor intro!)

May232013

J. Crew punk floral - bright green with neon pink

J. Crew punk floral - bright green with neon pink

J. Crew punk floral swoop top (it keeps selling out online and then popping back, so keep checking!) • J. Crew No. 2 pencil skirt (last year, but here’s this year’s cotton version) • Karen Scott peep-toe heels • Tiffany’s and Zenzi via Stitchfix bracelets

This top is part of J. Crew’s punk floral collection, which makes me laugh, because I am the least punk person ever. Apart from a few colorful hairdos, I am about as punk as a bright pink skirt with a green top. Bright color is punk, right?

I have seen this top on adorable outfits from Annie and Tara and when J. Crew had a 20% off sale (and I saw it in my size), I went for it. I love LOVE the color and can’t wait to try this top with jeans for the weekend or white pants. Oh the possibilites.

J. Crew punk floral - bright green with neon pink

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   A cute navy blazer with patterned leopard jeans

It’s Sponsor Intro time, and I’m super excited to introduce you to Katy of Sugar and Chiffon! Katy was one of the first bloggers I connected with when I started my blog, she’s a fellow Midwesterner and she just graduated from law school! Which basically means she’s amazing. (I mean, obviously – look at those pants!) I’m so excited to have Katy sponsor my blog! You can also check her out on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest!

Name: Katy Hanawalt
Where I live: Cleveland, Ohio
Favorite Foods: Iced coffee, good cheese, chips & fresh salsa, and peaches when they are in season
Free Afternoon: Probably go shopping! I love going to Marshalls/TJ Maxx/Home Goods and spending hours digging through everything.
Current Nail Polish: something neon pink from Zoya. I got it done at a salon and can’t remember the name, but it’s super bright and fun.
Favorite music on my iPod: This one always throws people…mostly rap and old, classic rock. Right now I really like Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Pitbull, and I’ve been playing that Florida Georgia Line “Cruise” remix with Nelly nonstop. Simon & Garfunkel, Pat Benatar, Bon Jovi, and Journey are always favorites.
15 Comments Filed Under: outfit of the day, work fashion Tagged With: ,

trend to try: silver shoes + whatever works wednesday

May222013

Fabulous silver shoes

 Aldo Paide flats • Target Vivan pointy heels • Nine West Quancy flats • Circus by Sam Edelman Ava flats • J. Crew Remi ribbon sandals • Stuart Weitzman Naughty pumps (splurge!) • TOMS classic glitter slip-ons (I have these and LOVE them)

 I love shoe posts. Mostly because I love writing and thinking about and buying shoes. And metallic shoes are especially fun – they go with everything (metallics are a neutral!) and make an outfit shine. Literally.

Which silver shoes would you add to your closet? Personally, I have my eye on the J. Crew sandals. (No surprise there!)

Don’t forget – there’s still time to enter the giveaway I’m doing with some other fabulous bloggers!

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy!

 ~~~

It’s time for Whatever Works Wednesday!

Whatever Works Wednesday link-up party on smalltownbigwardrobe.com

 

How it works:

  1. Make sure your link is no more than one week old (older links will be deleted).
  2. Add your link (please link to the specific post and not to your main blog page).
  3. Add a link to my blog in the post you linked up to!
  4. Visit as many other links as you can!



15 Comments Filed Under: trend to try Tagged With: ,

outfit of the day: when outfit dreams don’t work out (plus a giveaway!)

May212013

First of all, I am heartbroken by the news coming out of Oklahoma. I’m so sorry to anyone going through that tragedy right now. If you can, please consider donating to the Red Cross – text “REDCROSS” to 90999 for a $10 donation. And make sure you have an updated weather app or radio. It’s only the beginning of storm season for the U.S.

A striped dress with a baseball cap makes a fuss-free weekend look

Gap striped sleeveless jersey dress • J. Crew Cece flats (similar color) • hat from the best college in the world

Do you ever have an outfit in your head that you’ve been thinking about for ages? You try and collect all the pieces and excitedly put it together – only to realize it doesn’t quite live up to your outfit dreams. I was inspired to create a cute weekend outfit by the Herve Ledger Fall 2013 collection – mostly because of their awesome mix of bandage dresses and baseball caps. While the runway is out of reach for me, I fell in love with this dress from Gap and saw it in my head as going perfect with my beloved IU cap and thought it would be finished perfectly with my new Converse sneakers. Not so much. This dress is about three inches too long, and I’m seriously considering hemming it. With my sneakers on, I may as well have been wearing snowshoes, my feet felt so big.

Sigh. Have you ever had a perfect outfit in your head, only to be disappointed with reality?

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And now, a picture for Jojo. This is a bit of an inside joke (my grandmother requested more relaxed photos, and I ended up pricking my finger on my roses.)

A striped dress with a baseball cap makes an easy weekend look

On the plus side, I’m also excited to be participating in a giveaway hosted by a blog I sponsor, The Tiny Heart! Thanks Sharon for organizing this – some GREAT prizes available!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

17 Comments Filed Under: outfit of the day, weekend wear Tagged With:

monday vlog: two easy hairstyles using surf spray

May202013

Happy Monday! We seemed to have bypassed spring and gone straight into July – yesterday was the hottest, most humid day this year. But hotter temperatures mean time for my favorite hairstyle – the beach look! This look is meant to be messy and casual – I love it for the weekends with a sundress and cute pair of sandals. Salt sprays will give straight hair like mine some wave and texture. I just got Bumble & bumble surf spray and so far love it – though I wish it smelled a bit like the ocean! I will never get over John Freida discontinuing their beach blonde surf spray – why did they do that? It was the Best. Stuff. Ever.

Linking up with Still Being Molly and Lipgloss and Crayons!

5 Comments Filed Under: vlogs Tagged With: ,

weekend wishlist: purse, earrings, wedges, curler

May192013

J. Crew Edie purse, Sarah Potempta beachwaver, Sam & Libby wedges, Kate Spade Saturday circle studs

Kate Spade Saturday circle studs • Sarah Potempa beachwaver curling iron • Target Sam & Libby Kelly wedges • J. Crew Edie purse

You can follow all my picks and much more on my Pinterest boards.

2 Comments Filed Under: weekend wishlist

outfit of the day: peplum for girls who hate peplum

May162013

Black and white patterns with pink, yellow and orange accents

Black and white patterns with pink, yellow and orange accents

Ann Taylor blouse • Old Navy striped jersey pencil skirt • J. Crew belt • J. Crew Factory pumps • LOFT necklace

Ever since it started showing up in every store, I have tried on peplum tops and dresses to no avail. From more expensive ones to peplum from Target, nothing worked. I’m convinced that peplum isn’t for me – but the idea of peplum is still incredibly flattering and easy to recreate. One of the frustrating parts about peplum tops for me is that the peplum often hits my torso at the wrong point. By using a belt, you can adjust where the “peplum” starts in order to most flatter your figure.

Just grab a longer blouse or top, and add a belt at your natural waist. The fabric shouldn’t be too flowy, because part of peplum’s advantage is structure. This look goes great with pencil skirts and pants equally.

I really, really liked this outfit. The neon accents were fun and added much-needed color. This is a definite outfit repeat.

Also: shoulder pads, when used correctly, can be incredibly flattering. The more you know.

Black and white patterns with pink, yellow and orange accents

I almost forgot to tell you all – my second column for a magazine produced by my local newspaper was published! It’s all about building a wardrobe based on classic pieces – you can read it here (go to page 5)!

Linking up with Mix and Match Fashion and Toronto Shopoholic!

24 Comments Filed Under: outfit of the day, trends, work fashion Tagged With: , ,

a peek into our lives + whatever works wednesday

May152013

I had a blog years ago. It was part-angsty (I thought I was supposed to be an angsty teenager), part pathetic ranting (“OMG 22 is SOOOO OLD! What am I going to DO WITH MYSELF?”) and part stream of consciousness. I had a following of about seven, and I didn’t care. It was my teensy, microscopic, online home, I was the only editor, and I could write about whatever stupid movie I saw or news story that made me mad. It was the world’s window into my pretty much problem-free home.

Because that is what blogs are supposed to be in my mind: windows, tiny peeks into our lives. This blog just happens to have more of a theme and direction – and for the most part I stick to it. But if something made me mad or cry or laugh, I want to share it with you all. Because I like to hear the same things from all of you – what did you do today? Nothing? That’s ok – I want to hear about your day anyway.

There was an interesting conversation on one of my favorite blogs, J. Crew Aficionada, that centered around an online code J. Crew gave to Rachel from Pink Peonies to share with her readers. I found it strange that J. Crew gave one blog a specific code when they are very anti-blogs and anti-customer promotions on social media – and commented that while I think Rachel is lovely and has great style, one of my major pet peeves from her and Blair of Atlantic-Pacific is that I know NOTHING about them – except that they have great style (and possibly a large budget). They post where they got the items (or who they got them from), and little to nothing else about their lives. One commenter took this as “bashing” poor Rachel (seriously, has she never heard of the borderline bullying site that is Shamepuff?), but it’s honestly just a difference in taste. Rachel and Blair’s sites are lovely and perfect when I want outfit ideas. But one of these days I wish they would just tell me how their days went.

What do you all think? Do you like hearing about randoms in my life? Or am I annoying you all by telling you my mundane day-to-day details? And if you made it to the end of this essay, congrats. You’ve earned this link-up!

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy!

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It’s time for Whatever Works Wednesday!

Whatever Works Wednesday link-up party on smalltownbigwardrobe.com

 

How it works:

  1. Make sure your link is no more than one week old (older links will be deleted).
  2. Add your link (please link to the specific post and not to your main blog page).
  3. Add a link to my blog in the post you linked up to!
  4. Visit as many other links as you can!



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