Minnie Pearl

Does anyone remember the show "Hee-Haw"? Yes, I watched it as a kid. Anyway, Minnie Pearl always wore a hat with the price tag dangling from the brim. While I don't have any dangling price tags, I do have a price tag on the inside of these heels. I cannot manage to get it off, so I just left it there. Who sees the inside of my shoes besides me?

Urban safari:

Jacket - Mossimo

Tank (under jacket) - Max Studio

Linen trousers - Banana Republic

Silver choker- Lia Sophia

Pendant on choker - New York & Company (deconstructed from another necklace)

Scarf (woven through long necklace) - TJ Maxx

Long necklace - Target

Black heels with silver studs - Nicole Miller

Not the norm

I think cerulean is my color choice for the week, I truly love it. This skirt is not something that I would normally purchase, but I was drawn to the unique print and the price. $1.98 new stock at Goodwill. There is a flaw at the hem, the cream at the bottom is not uniform all the way around. I did not notice until after I had washed it. For a $1.98, who cares? I think I will shorten it and embellish the hem.

The outfit:
Wrap top - Old Navy
Cream tank - Ann Taylor Loft
Skirt - new stock at Goodwill
Wedge heels - Charlotte Russe
Necklace - Target
Cuff bracelet - Forever 21

Whites and Brights

Today the May Inspiration Calendar called for Whites and Brights. This combination required more thought than I thought it would. Where do I wear white? On the top on the bottom? Skirt or pants? The result is an outfit that I think is better in theory than in person. I think this top would look better tucked into a pencil skirt. I ended up throwing a black cardigan on at work.

The outfit:
Ruffled top and White cropped pants - Ann Taylor Loft
Gold heeled sandals - BCBG
Gold necklace with monogram pendant - gift from dad

Frumpy

TGIF! This week has been crazy (hence the lack of posts). I am elated that this is a 3 day weekend.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to follow Kimberly's Inspiration Calendar (wear one of your guy's shirts) due to several meetings today. Besides, my hubbie wears a men's XL shirt, so I literally would drown in it.

This is one of those outfits that I adore in person, but is not very flattering in pics. The top is silk, so everytime I lift my arms or reach for something it slides out of the waist-band of the skirt.

The outfit:

Silk top - New York & Company

Black pencil skirt and belt - Apt. 9

Pink and red heels - Naughty Monkey

Red and silver bangles - Ann Taylor Loft

Silver "Wonder Woman" cuff - Don't remember??

Red flower ring - Charlotte Russe

Belt it!

Today's outfit went through many evolutions (i.e. belt changes, different jewelry). I wasn't 100% satisfied with the final result, but I had to get to work.

I REALLY wanted to wear these shoes today, so I felt I needed to stick
with a brown palette. These heels are some of my favorites and they
don't get worn nearly enough. Plus, they are super comfortable.

The outfit:
Faux wrap dress - Merona
Multi-color heels - Oh Deer!
Long necklace (wrapped several times) - Old Navy
Gold belt - Target
Brown and gold beaded bracelet - Old Navy

Rarely Worn Skirt

In case you can't tell, I am obsessed with Kimberly's Inspiration Calendar. It has really challenged me to pair items that I never would have thought to put together or to re-discover rarely worn items. This skirt is a rarely worn item, mostly because it was too small for a while. Now it is too big and is starting to pooch in the front above the pleats.



Jacket: Apt. 9 (Kohl's)
Tank: The Limited
Pleated skirt: Ann Taylor Loft
Leopard print heels: Mossimo
Necklace: Old Navy

Favorite Drugstore Products

Currently, there are three products that I am in love with. The good news is that they can all be found at your local drugstore or mass retailer. I purchased all of these at Target.

Product #1 - Cover Girl Wetslicks Amazemint Lip Gloss

If you look at my blog pictures you might say to yourself, "What is she talking about, she doesn't wear lipgloss?" Every morning I leave the house with four bags (son's school bag, daughter's backpack for the sitter, my lunch bag and my gym bag), so my purse, with my lipgloss, stays in the car. Lipgloss is applied on the way to work. While at a red-light, not driving down the interstate.

CoverGirl and Crest teamed up to bring girls/women this fabulous product. It has peppermint oil in it, so you get fresh breath with your lipgloss. It is not sticky and stays on while drinking coffee.

Product #2 - Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara

Seriously, can any product with "stiletto" in it be bad? While my feet can't always handle 10 hours in stilettos, my lashes certainly can.

This mascara separates the lashes and makes them appear really long. Also, it is not very thick, so you can apply several coats on the top lashes and doesn't cause the bottom lashes to clump.

Product #3 - Burt's Bees Radiance Night Cream

I discovered this product about a month ago and now use it religously every night before bed. It is like a multi-vitamin for your face. It is not oily or greasy and it leaves my skin hydrated and smooth.

One Lovely Blog Award

Today I received my 1st award for blogging from Modest Mom. I am so stoked to receive this! Thank you to everyone who stops by to view my blog. I truly appreciate it. Please stop back and leave comments or questions.

Sorry, no pic today. My hubbie wasn't home this morning to snap it and I am not about to put my work clothes back on after two hours of Pilates tonight. Instead, I thought I would post some of my current favorite products. Check back later..

Floral + Stripe

Prior to the Inspiration Calendar I would have been leary combining stripes and a floral print. I think the key to this combination is that both prints not be bold. You could either pair two subtle prints or one bold with one subtle. Since this is my new favorite skirt (did I mention it has pockets), I decided to let it stand out and use the striped button down as an accent.

Striped button-down: New York & Company

Black ruffle cardigan: Kohl's

Skirt: The Limited

Black slingback heels: Jessica Simpson

Necklace: Crafted by me

Add a Scarf

According to the Inspiration Calendar, today is "Add a Scarf" (big or small) day. I also did a little pattern mixing with the Pucci-esque print in the scarf and the multi-colored polka dots on my wedges. I will have to take a picture of these and post later, they are too cute!!

White T: Old Navy
Sweater: Old Navy
Linen skirt: Ann Taylor Outlet
Scarf: Old Navy
Polka-dot wedges: Steve Madden

Inspiration Calendar - Jewel Tones and Statement Necklace

Jewel tones: blouse and heels, check. Statement necklacke, it is there, but sadly you cannot see it due to the neckline of the blouse. I will take a picture of the necklace later and update my post.

The necklace matches the bracelet, except the necklace has 6 strands. It certainly is a statement! I don't usually match jewelry, but I loved both pieces and couldn't decide which to buy. So...I bought both! Very rarely do I wear the two together.

My stuff:

Sapphire blouse: Apt. 9 (Kohl's)

Python print skirt: New York & Company

Turquiose leather heels: Carlos Santana

Multi-Strand necklace and bracelet: Lia Sophia

Inspiration Calendar: Pattern Mixing - Small & Large Prints

I am trying to follow the Inspiration Calendar that Kimberly created for the month of May. Without this calendar, I am sure that today's outfit never would have come to fruition. The pattern in this blouse is so bold, that I never would have contemplated pairing it with another pattern. The pattern in the trousers is so small, though, that they act as a neutral. Overall, I am quite happy with the way the outfit turned out. Next time, I might pop it with color.

Funny note: My husband asked me this morning why I get to wear a belt with a large buckle and he doesn't. My response, "because my belt buckle is fabulous and yours has your name on it!" I kid you not, he is in his mid-30s and has a giant brass buckle of his name. What for? I guess in case he forgets his name.

Labels:

Sheer, ruffled blouse - GO International for Target

Black cami (underneath) - The Limited

Trousers - Ann Taylor Loft

Belt - New York & Company

Open-toe heels - Naturalizer

Close-up of trouser print

Inspiration Calendar: Ruffles and/or girly girl

Kimberly over at Fab Finds Under $50 created an Inspiration Calendar for the month of May. Thank you, Kimberly! Her calendar has been very helpful in planning outfits not only for the upcoming week, but for the whole month.

Today's inspired outfit is as the title suggests: ruffles and/or girly girl. I am a "girly girl" to some extent; passion for fashion, enjoy manis/pedis and salon visits. However, I am not that into the frilly details of a girly girl (ruffles, tiered skirts, lace,etc). So, today's inspiration was a challenge for me since I don't have many items with ruffles and I had already slated my ruffle blouse for Friday's pattern mixing inspiration.

Despite not having ruffles, I think this blouse falls under the category of "girly girl" with its scalloped edge, abstract floral print and neck tie.

Labels:

Blouse - Ann Taylor Loft

Gray pencil skirt, both short and long necklaces - New York & Company

Brown faux croc heels - Nine West

Shades of Pink

Rarely do I rant about my clothes, but I hate trousers. They are the most difficult item of clothing to fit my body. I am 5'11" (without heels), so length is always a problem. To add to my frustration, my body has changed in the last year and I have packed more muscle onto my already athletic frame. I have a lot of trousers hanging in my closet, but few that I am happy with once I put them on. My work schedule today dictated that my legs be covered (dress code), so I decided to pair my brown trouser with pink; one of my favorite color combinations.

Pink is one of my favorite colors to wear during spring. The color reminds me of new spring flowers I have had this pink tank for several years, but I have never worn it. I have put it on a few times, but changed my mind and then changed my top. The neckline is very low, so it seems inappropriate for work. Today I solved that problem by layering with another cami. I dont know why I didn't think of that before. The mutiple shades of pink in the bust are picked up in the cardi, bracelet and shoes.

Labels:

Brown cami - Mossimo

Pink tank and cardi - Express

Brown trousers - The Limited

Silver "S" necklace - Tiffany & Co. (gift from my husband)

Siver and pink necklace - Lia Sophia

Pink wooden bangle - Bitten by SJP

Pink and tapestry platform sandals - Kenzie

Post Pig

Yesterday I ran the Flying Pig Half Marathon in my home city of Cincinnati. If any of my readers are contemplating running (or walking) a half or full marathon, you should definately consider this race. It is awesome! The course is layed out well and the crowd support is phenomenal! I didn't run as fast as I wanted to, but I still had a good time. After I finished I stayed to cheer on other runners and ran in a few of my friends who ran the full marathon. Thankfully, I am not sore today (except for my shoulder, go figure?) but I am tired. By tomorrow I will be ready to run/work-out again.

Labels:

Striped blouse - Bitten by SJP

Striped vest - Mossimo

Black capris - Ann Taylor Loft

Belt - off of a skirt

Black shooties - Steve Madden

Shorter

I am referring to my hair and not my stature. For most of my life, I have had very short hair, but about a year and a half ago, I started to grow it out. The length near my shoulder was getting on my nerves as my hair appeared to have no life. I contemplated going super short (think pixie cut) again, but my hairdresser wouldn't let me. Removing a little length and a lot of weight did the trick. Enough about my hair, onto the clothes...

I finally hit the jackpot at the thrift store. I scored this sparkly shrug and a new dress on Monday. I love the sequins on the sweater, even if sequins may not be appropriate for work. Are sequins work appropriate? I don't care, they are fun!

Labels:

Sequined sweater - thrifted

Navy tee - INC

Turquiose tank and white pants - New York & Company

Necklace - Lia Sophia

Navy bandana heels - Oh Deer!