OOTD - My new obsession

I've been waiting to post an outfit using this kimono jacket since I bought it on clearance weeks ago. I've worn it to work with jeans but I wanted my first OOTD with this piece to be a little different. I've been awoken the past few weeks to the oh to pleasant sounds to saws, hammers, and lumber dropping. They are building a house next door (great for property value, awful for sleep) and they insist on starting earlier than I care for. Thus my outfits have been rushed and uninteresting because I spend much of my morning complaining to myself about the intrusion of blissful sleep. To be honest I don't even know how I pulled this outfit together, but I love it so I won't look a gifted horse in the mouth. So on to the details... the kimono jacket was purchased from Anthropologie on clearence. It's by Porridge and I'm in love with it. I'm almost as obsessed in love with it as I am with my J. Crew chambray shirt. I threw it on over a target bodycon sweater dress and called it a day. The colors don't actually match, but they compliment nicely. Now if only catching up on sleep were this easy I would be a happy lady.

The first of many

I'm back on the dating scene, so that means lots of first, second, and third date outfits. For some reason I tend not to wear heels early on in the meet & greet process. Perhaps it's because I'm tall as it is, and I don't like to tower over people on dates (call me old fashioned). Beyond that I don't listen much to what people and books say about dating and fashion. My loctician says you should always wear a skirt or dress to show off your legs. My friend says you should never wear a turtle neck or crew neck. My neighbor says your makeup should be simple and neutral. While I'm sure there's great rational behind these pieces of advice (or not) I've always believed that it's really not that complicated. If you're comfortable and confident in your outfit of the night, then you're putting your best and truest self out into the world.

I inherited this clutch when my grandmother passed away. On both sides of the family, my grandmothers loved to shop and they really had some unique pieces. I was blessed to get some of them; they really hold a lot of sentimental value. I used the bag and shoes (Me Too) to pop my otherwise neutral outfit.

FHD #1

Most days I get up, shake out my hair and go. But every once in a while I tire of the ponytail or just wearing it down and I come up with a quick fancy 'do. I'll start posting pictures of the results in a series I'm going to call FHD (Fabulous Hair Day). Enjoy! And please comment if you have any hair ideas or would like to see step-by-step instructions in the future. This is a new series so it will definitely continue to evolve.

OOTD - The Last of the Sweater Dresses

The weather is finally getting warmer so hopefully this will be one of the last sweater dress outfits I post on here. I am beyond ready to pack up my boots for the next 6 months. Even though this winter hasn't been nearly as bad as last year (remember the year when every weekend there was a 24" snow storm?), it's still a little depressing to have to bundle up every morning and trudge out in the cold to work, the gym, or outings with friends. Even though the groundhogs couldn't agree (the national station's groundhog said more winter, the NYC groundhog said more spring) the fact is that spring is coming! Fingers crossed that it won't be long until I'm sporting sandals and shorts.

Ready. Set. Shoot!

Welcome to the weekend! Just a quick post on this last Saturday before the time change. My new camera has finally arrived and I am beyond excited! Never mind that I have no idea what 99.9% of the buttons mean - But I am ready to learn. I have signed up for a class that teaches you what your camera does, along with a composition in the field class that shows you different ways to frame and take a better photo. Once the weather gets more consistent I'll be out in the city capturing scenes that catch my eye. Can't wait to start sharing some of my photography!

OOTD - Easy Weekend

At the end of the week I usually like to do one of two things - hang in with a movie or go out to a low key bar with friends. This week it was the latter. I usually don't get too dressed up because honestly after a long work week I just don't want to put that much effort into it and it was pouring. Usually rain (or any type of weather that's not warm and dry) would deter me from going out. However I've decided to try something new. I'm kind of like Jim Carry in Yes Man. If you haven't seen that movie it's about a guy who begins to say yes to everything asked of him. Want to go bungee jumping? Yes. Can I borrow your car? Yes. Do you have $1 million to loan me? Why, yes! I'm not going that far, but I am consciously saying yes to every opportunity to go out and meet new people or hang with friends. I'm excited about the possibilities and opportunities this be outlook could present to me. Have any of you tried anything like this? What are your thoughts? Would you do it again?

 

Outfit details:

Pants - Joes Jeans (from Marshalls)

Long Sleeve Tee - Gap

Sweater - J. Crew

Boots - Sam Edleman

 

 

 

OOTD: I like my clothes how I like my wine...

...light and bright. This past weekend I went to a winery west of Boston with some girlfriends. I love checking out different vineyards/wineries in the area. Especially since it'll be a while before I make it to Napa Valley :o( The winery was a blast. Surprisingly I didn't come home with any wine (crazy I know). After tasting 10 different wines there just wasn't anything I absolutely loved. Never the less it was still great seeing my friends, plus we went to Max Brenner (diet? what diet?) for dinner and dessert after. Yum yum YUM!

I wanted something light and fun for my adventure with the fermented grape. These are the same jeans and tee worn in the 'OOTD - Bright Night' post. While I am questioning the blue pants I am in love with the lilac. The screen really doesn't show the true color; they are oh so lovely. The tee underneath (another Gap find) is actually brighter than it photographs, more like a neon yellow as opposed to the soft yellow that's pictured.

Outfit Details:
Jeans - Gap (as seen on OOTD - Bright Night)
Tee - Gap (as seen on OOTD - Bright Night)
Sweater - J.Crew Factory Store
Boots - Cole Haan (as seen on OOTD - Bright Night)
Bracelets - Lucky Jeans

OOTD - Bright Night

Trivia time! I've just discovered my love for trivia. My neighbors and I have formed a team (we're still working on a team name) and we've been hitting different bars on different nights to find our favorite place. Luckily we live in a part of Boston where trivia is obsessive popular so we can try different places on different nights. Granted we've never won, but it's a lot of fun, and I feel like the years I spent watching The Discovery Channel and episodes of Jeopardy can finally pay off!

On this night I wore my first pair of colored denim since I outgrew my green jeans in the sixth grade. They are Gap's skimmer jean. I bought them in this color and lilac (that post will come later). I love the fit - tight without being constricting. Side note - If you're interested in purchasing I would say they are TTS. If you are in between a size though I would err on the side of smaller. They will stretch with wear. The only thing I am personally questioning is the color. It is really really really bright. I thought it was closer to a turquoise (which is what the website depicts), but it's actually a pool blue.  Almost too bright for my liking. I'm still debating whether or not I want to keep this color - what do you guys think?

Outfit Details:

Pants - Gap "1969 lightweight always skinny skimmer jeans" (here)

Tee - Gap "Luxe long-sleeve T" (here)

Sweater - old super clearance find from Banana Republic

Boots - Cole Haan "Air Leora" Mid Calf Leather Boot (on sale here)

Belt - Gap (similar here)

Thank You Ms. Davis

I only watched an hour or so of the Oscar presentation, but I watched the red carpet from 6:00 to the start of the show at 8:30. There were some gorgeous dresses and dashing suits, but what really caught my eye was Viola Davis' hair. Why you might ask? I am so happy that she has the confidence to wear her natural hair. Rock the fro! I feel like Hollywood can be so confining sometimes. I understand that actors need to be chameleons in order to completely become into a character, but I feel like everyone looks alike on and off the set. Most of the black actresses (at least the mainstream ones) have straight hair, either chemically relaxed or woven in. Don't get me wrong, I think if that's how you want to wear your hair then more power to you. But I find it very hard to believe that 100% of the black actors want the same exact hairstyle. The same. Exact. Hairstyle! Give me a break! I see so many people walking the streets with natural hair, you're telling me that none of those natural ladies lives in the LA/Hollywood area (insert side eye here). I've been natural for 8 years now, and my mom just went natural a year ago (her hairstyle looks like Ms. Davis') so I know we are out there. So kudos to you Ms Davis, and thank you. Thank you for bucking the norm and wearing your hair in it's natural state. Thank you for letting America know that straight hair isn't the only style that black women can rock. And thank you for just being the beautiful, stunning (I mean look at her bone structure and smooth skin!), phenomenal woman that you are.

P.S. Your dress (Vera Wang) was out-of-this-world gorgeous! :o)

Photo curtsey of Allure

Photo curtsey of Fashion Police

OOTD - Pretty in Pink

Hi ladies and gents. Welcome back to the work week. This is just a quick OOTD inspired by Curvy Girl Chic (check out her blog here). I loved that she was wearing a pink skirt in the dead of winter. Granted she does live in a warmer climate (California I think) but I tried to modify it to fit the weather we've been having here in Boston. Plus when I found the skirt at The Gap (apparently I've been on a Gap kick as of late) on final clearance for $11.00 I knew the fashion gods were telling me to go ahead and recreate the look.

Outfit Details;
Skirt, Sweater, and Belt - Gap

OOTD - So much to do. So little time

Quick OOTD ladies. Sorry for the background - it was a long day and I was just getting to the gym at 10:00 at night. On a brighter note I've been relatively successful at getting my workouts in on a regular basis. I've been going 6x a week for about four six five weeks (wow I've lost track). There was only one week that I knocked it down to four times, which I still think is pretty good.

Anyway, as I was getting ready to change for my workout I realized I hadn't taken my OOTD picture yet! Sacrebleu! I suppose a locker room picture will have to do.

Outfit details: Sweater - Sanctuary, Tee - H&M, Necklace - Banana Republic, Skirt - French Connection, Boots - Born

Closet Desires: Spring/Summer 2012 Edition

Never! It is never too early to think about the upcoming season. All the magazines have images of the spring trends and it seems like every show I watch is on vacation or filmed in a warm, sunny locale. So I've started to think about the things I'm going to add to my closet for the warmer months. I live in dresses in the warmer months, but I do want to update my look just a little bit. Here's my wish list.

Jumpsuits/Rompers

Joie Joleen

Jumpsuits and rompers have come and gone. (And come and gone. And come and gone.) Now they are back - I've been seeing them on my guilty pleasure reality shows on E, Vh1, or Bravo and every time I see one I think "I gotta get that!" They can run the gamut from easy-breezy to sophisticated to glitz and glam. Needless to say I am excited to wear one. Now the question is are they actually wearable? How does one go to the bathroom? Especially if it's not a tube top like the one pictured. Honestly, I don't even care - that's how bad I want a jumpsuit and romper, haha. I am excited! Now they are pretty hard to pull off fit wise, especially if you aren't the same size top to bottom or if you are taller or shorter than average height - both of which I am. The trick for me here will be to either find one with a long torso or a high rise. Either way I'm determined and oh so excited about this item.

High-Low/Asymmetrical Hemline

BCBG

Business in the front, party in the back. Who knew the mullet look could actually be so cool. This is another look that isn't necessarily new this season, but there are so many ways to interpret it. I like all versions of it - the extreme (like the one pictured from Nordstrom) and the less exaggerated versions. Both bottoms and tops have utilized this trend. I don't know why, but the asymmetrical hem top is just oh-so flattering. I already own a skirt, a dress, and numerous tops with a high-low hemline but a few more won't hurt :o)

Color Color Color

Gap "Always Skinny Flood Jeans"

Sam Edelman "Marina Pump"

I love all color - and it is so in this season from brights to pastels. Pants, dresses, skirts, accessories - doesn't matter what it is it'll just add a little pop to my wardrobe. I'm excited for the pinks/corals, greens/yellows, and of course my favorite color purple! And because the colors run the gamut everyone can wear this trend - add a belt or some fun bangles or go for the gusto and do it all over! I'm going to go the accessory route when it comes to bright colors (I love wearing a monotone outfit with a pop shoe). For the pastels I'll look for dresses and jeans. 

OOTD - workaholic

Happy Valentine's Day! Just a quick OOTD from the office. The good thing about my desk is there are two full length mirrors for trying on samples so it's easy for me to pop up and take an outfit pic before heading out to a Speed Dating mixer with some girlfriends.

Outfit details: Cords (J. Crew), Sweater (so old I can't remember where it's from), shoes (Vince Camuto).

I Love Fashion Week

Fall Fashion Week has hit New York City once again and I was lucky enough to attend the Cynthia Rowley show for work. Unfortunately I wasn't able to bring the camera (poor planning on my part) so the next best thing was the iPhone - thank goodness for technology. 

Some of the highlights: mechanical jumpsuits, lady-like dresses with high-low hems, leather and sequin detailing, and lots of great jackets. It's amazing all the work that goes into a 15 minute fashion show. Enjoy this short snippet of the final walk and have a fabulous weekend!

OOTD - Long Days Night

Just got in to the hotel after an early start and a very full work day. The lighting in here isn't the best but I absolutely loved my outfit so I had to take a few pictures before I changed into my jamjams and crashes into bed.

Outfit details: button front shirt (J. Crew), mini pants (J. Crew), sweater (Gap Outlet), flats (J. Crew), ring ( TJ Maxx), bracelet (gift)

OOTD - Meating the ladies

Hey lovelies! Just a quick OOTD. This past weekend I went out with some friends to a Brazilian BBQ. For those of you who have never been to a Brazilian BBQ it's like carnivore heaven. Basically there is a buffet that contains salads and cheese, soups and chowders, side dishes and fruit. Then there are meat people (I have no idea what they are really called) come around with different meats on huge sword like things and they carve off what you want. If you've got the stomach space they just keep on coming. It is completely awesome for a little meat lover like me. Yum yum yum-yum-yum!

 What do you ladies and gents think of the new photo local? My only issue with it is the spotlight on my forehead - not too cute.

Don't sweat the style

It's always amazing how fashion, or at least how you feel in your clothes, can effect your mood and your motivation. Take exercising for instance :) If I fall off my exercise bandwagon (which happens more often than I'd like to admit) what brings me back if a few new workout outfits. There's nothing like going to the gym feeling like you look like a million bucks - and looking like you know what you're doing, even though you just secretly shadow the fittest looking person around the gym and do what they do to ensure you get a good workout, ha ha!

Here are some of the latest things that I'm loving for my workouts:


You guys know that I have larger than average feet. So I under NO circumstances will ever ever EVER buy a white pair of sneakers. Doesn't mean I don't want attention on my sneakers, I just don't want to look like I've got two 40 foot yachts on my feet. These sneakers fit the bill - fun and bright, and not white :) Plus New Balance is my favorite exercise shoe brand.

New Balance 1400 Running Sneaker

I'm tall, so I prefer capris when I work out, that way I don't have to worry about finding a pant with a long enough inseam. My body type is most flattered with a legging/tight style as opposed to a flare/boot leg style.

NIke "Time Out" Capri

prAna "Prism" Capris

I am currently obsessed with Under Armour's burnout tees. I have two and if I thought I could get away with wearing them every day to work out believe me I would. I bought them at Nordies during one of their sales and I haven't seen them since. Good news! They're on sale at UA.com. I gotta snap some up!

Under Armour "Victory" Burnout

What do you wear to your workouts when you want to feel good about your health and your body?

OOTD - Winter Wonderland

I awoke this morning to snow on the ground and the cars. Wait a minute! That wasn't there when I went to bed last night! Hmmm, I'm going to have to rethink my outfit today. I can't let a little snow cramp my style to out come the most snow worthy shoes I have in my closet (save my Sorels). Enter my furry wedges by Franco Sarto :)

The rest of the outfit itself is pretty simple - Banana Republic gray long sleeve tee and tiered black knit skirt (which, PS, I bought for a whopping $5 on final clearance!), pink ruffle front sweater from Nordies Rack, and warm black tights by Hue. My go-to watch (Michael Kors) and ring (TJ Maxx) and I'm ready to head to work - whether I like it or not. Oh well, at least I'll be warm and stylish.

OOTD - What's old is new

I am always looking for new ways to wear old things. For one thing it's so much easier on my wallet and since this year I'm trying to be more fiscally responsible I'm sure I'll be shopping my closet that much more often. Enter this Target find. I bought this for less than $20 at the tail end of the Alice Temperley flash sale. It has covered buttons down the front 3/4 placket and covered buttons on the cuff of the sleeve. In true Alice Temperley style it has a nod to the days of classic femininity and sophistication. Only one issue - its really really really short. Because of that I've only worn it once to a friend's birthday party. Since then it's been hanging lonely in my closet. While leafing through a magazine I saw an inspiration style (note to self take a picture next time!) that showed a dress worn as a top - it looked so sophisticated so I tried my own version and I love the outcome.

The pants are J.Crew mini and add a pop of color that and they are insanely comfortable. I bought this necklace on sale two years ago from Banana Republic and the shoes are Steven by Steve Madden from Nordstrom.  My watch and ring are my go to jewelry for the most part - the watch is Michael Kors and the ring is a fantastic find from TJ Maxx. I recieved so many compliments on this outfit - I'm going to have to shop my closet much more often!