Pearls of wisdom...

Hi pretties, it's Sunday night and I've spent a lot of the day scrolling through fashion blogs, having fun, and getting inspired. I found a new favorite, atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com  and am loving Blair's style on this blog. She has partnered with Coach for the launch of their classics line (see "An oldie but a goodie") and styled outfits to wear with those timeless handbags. She's a fan of David Yurman (as am I) and usually has a pop of color on her lips which I am attempting to do more. But as I scrolled through her outfits I fell in love with a pearl necklace of hers and it got me inspired to post about pearls!

Growing up I always thought pearls were for older women but I don't know at what age I realized the advantages of a long strand of pearls or a pair of pearl stud earrings. I tend to gravitate more towards longer strands than a short strand of pearls because it feels less formal.

Carrie sported a strand for most of the Sex and the City movie

The necklace that inspired me!

Real pearls are insanely expensive and Mikimoto is THE pearl jeweler, Kokichi Mikimoto cultured the first semi-sepherical pearl- it was the first pearl grown by man. The pearls coming out of Mikimoto are to die for but you might die when you see the price. Stores like Forever 21 and Charming Charlie have costume pearls for wayyyyyyy less and in different lengths for your choosing. Pearls look really beautiful with rose gold accents. So play around with some pearls either around your neck, in your ears, or wrapped around your wrist!

xoxo 

An oldie but a goodie...

After four and a half years pretties I finally got a Coach Classic! It was at the store today and I couldn't help myself! It's beautiful and it's in Vermillion so it's the perfect color to go with everything all year! I cannot wait to use it!!

xoxo

The Outsider...

It's the middle of the week pretties and I know I needed a pick-me-up which came in the form of a Greasers moment from the book The Outsiders. If you have zero clue of what I'm talking about the book was written by S.E. Hinton in 1967 and was made into a major motion picture in 1983 and chronicles the lives of two gangs; the Greasers and the Socs. I read it in school and love the story but these boys were hard-knock gangsters who wore leather jackets, white v-neck tees with their cigarettes rolled into their sleeves. I had to imagine the girls in the book wore scarves tied on their heads like I did today! I wanted to share my outfit with you today because it made me happy! P.S. don't mind my make-upless face :) P.P.S. I am also wearing my wellies because it's raining but you can't see them in this picture.

I was also inspired by my FAVORITE show Pretty Little Liars, when Aria wore a scarf/bandana in her hair

So adorable/bad a$$

It's fun to play with scarves because you can do so much with them. I always have one of my bag but throwing one in my hair is cute and flirty too! Also, if you're looking for a good read-pick up the book

xoxo

Pink isn't for all occasions...

Evening pretties! I've been having a not so good day but wanted to post because it makes me happy! After my recent trip to Soldier Field last weekend to watch Da Bears smash the Vikings, I bought my boyfriend tickets for his birthday and it was an amazing time, I was not so happy with how many pink jerseys I saw roaming the stadium. I might be one of the few girls that feel this way but pink jerseys ARE NOT cute! It's just tacky- we get it you're a girl wearing sports stuff but it comes off like you're only wearing it because a boy you're after likes the team. Who can forget the infamous picture of Jessica Simpson at the Dallas Cowboys game when Tony Romo had one of the worst games in his career and she was blamed by the team and the public as a "bad luck charm". She later blamed it on the pink jersey and I agree!

Yuck-no thanks!

Here she is wearing the team colors which look better on her anyway

(Is she pregnant btw?)

This is my boyfrannnd and I before the Bears/Packers game last season (Who do you think we root for?)

Next time you pass by a rack of pink jerseys please keep on walking to the rack with the team colors...PLEASE! 

A pink that I absolutely love is Essie polish in Fiji! It's the perfect opaque pink, it reminds me of Barbie kind of. I am a fan of opaque polish and only like the sheer pinks when I need to paint my nails in a hurry and don't have time to be careful! This pink works all year and has the great manicured look to it. I was at Target today and bought a new bottle because I knew mine was like half gone-crazy right? I have a problem! 

So, if you're looking for a new pink this is the one to try-NOT A SPORTS JERSEY :)

xoxo

Will forever lust...

It's Monday again pretty people and I am exhausted from a long weekend at work. Speaking of handbags whenever I see an Hermes Birkin bag a little part of me dies because I don't have one and want one really bad! So, I want to talk about them despite the fact that the Birkin alludes me.

Every other season trends say that bags are going smaller but women in real life cannot afford to downsize their bags to a cell phone sized clutch everyday no matter how hard they try. Small bags are ideal for special events, dinners out, or traveling but running errand, luncheons, or work does not permit losing any space. The reason the Birkin bag has transcended  all of these different trends is because it's a classic, handmade, and wears with any occasion like a dream.

The bag is named for the actress Jane Birkin-in 1981 the chief executive of Hermes, Jean-Louis Dumas was seated next to the actress/singer on flight from Paris to London. She placed her straw bag in the overhead compartment and the contents fell out upon arrival, leaving Birkin to scramble to pick up all her belongings. It was from that moment Dumas decided to create a leather bag just for her. It wasn't until 3 years later that the bag finally came to fruition but after using it for sometime Birkin changed her mind about the style-but the public had already made up their mind about the bag, it became an icon.

The prices range from $9,000 to $150,000 depending on the material used but the key factor to the Birkin is elusiveness and exclusivity of the bag. They are handmade and shipped to stores on unpredictable schedules and in limited quantities so it makes it harder to find. Customers can order their bags in any material and color of their choosing but the bag has long been on a waiting list. The bag can be made in a number of different materials ranging from croc, ostrich, leather (obvi), lizard etc. The hardware is made of gold or palladium to prevent tarnishing the the signature lock can be covered in leather or diamonds (for a price). Another cool feature is you can send your Birkin bag in for a "spa treatment" where they recondition the leather for overly used bags. Another fun fact is Hermes owns their own font, so it helps to decipher real Birkins from fakes (yuck-fakes suck)

 Most people scoff at the high price of the bag but working in leatherware I know the importance of a well made leather handbag and in the Birkin's classic design this bag will last forever to be passed down from mother to daughter and so on.

xoxo

Current Obsession...

Hey pretty ladies n gents! I have written a time or two about about menswear and the trend is only getting bigger which leads me to believe it may become a staple. Anywho, I was at Charming Charlie when I found a necklace that was a big bow and I thought to myself I could wear this necklace with my blazers and it'll look like a bow tie! YAY!!

This was the day of my birthday and I was taking a picture of my earrings to show friend what my boyfrannd got me :)

Real bow ties have been making a splash on the runways and red carpets for women but some of us aren't ready for (and don't know how to tie) one. Finding a pretty necklace with a bow charm is a cute way to give a hint of menswear into your wardrobe! I found a rose gold one today at Forever 21- the chain is a little longer and it's a little bit smaller but it makes me tempted to wear them both at the same time! Hmm...we'll see, but it does match my boyfriend watch :)

This is a close up of both of my necklaces-you can't see it in the picture but the rose gold one has 6 little peach gem stones in the middle! 

Nail Polish Soulmate Found...

Hello pretties...just hanging out watching the Pretty Little Liars marathon before the Halloween Special Event and I stumbled upon a blog address in the newest InStyle magazine (Gwen Stefani is this months cover girl-reason enough to pick up a copy) it's thepolishaholic.com

Basically this blog is all about nail polish! Trying out new colors from all different lines and giving a review on the color, how many coats it takes, and tutorials on cool manicures. I am in love because I am constantly wondering if a color is worth the money so it's nice to find a place to look up product reviews! Although, I am envious of her nail polish collection and it makes me want to buy some new shades-dang it! So head on over and check it out! Get a head start on finding your new holiday shade! They'll be here before you know it!

xoxo

P.S. The $39,000 crocodile The Row backpack has sold out...crazy!

Try something new...

Hello! I recently read an article in the October InStyle magazine on jewelry designer Nak Armstrong. When they asked him what gem he found the most overrated I was surprised to  read Nak thought white diamonds are overrated. He believed it was the least interesting of all the gem and I love me a good diamond but I can see his point. My favorite piece of jewelry and a white and blue diamond ring-I recently flashed it in a blog

It's so different from anything I've seen and I get a lot of compliments/questions about what the blue stone is. Blue diamonds are so pretty and completely different and unique. There are a lot of different hues of diamonds and I wanted to share a few of my favorites with you! 

Blue

yellow/canary

pink-Very Jennifer Lopez

black 

So open your mind and and go for pieces that are unique to your personality-jewelry is supposed to help you shine and bring out your style! 

xoxo

Good night and good luck...

Late night post for all you pretty people out there! I recently tried C.O. Bigelow's My Favorite Night Balm from Bath and Body Works and I am becoming a fan. It is important to get your skin ready for winter and your lips are absolutely no exception! The best time to do that is at night whilst you're sleeping-it's uninterrupted time to let your products (and your body) do work.

The store I work in is pretty dry- I think the leather sucks all the moisture out of the air like it does out of my hands when I touch it. I keep a stick of Burts Bees in my pocket while I am there to refresh my lips throughout my the day. So when I found this night time lip balm I thought it would be a good way to restore moisture at night

It goes on with a wet look so it's more like a lip gloss than a balm but by the time you wake up your lips are dry-I woke up one night at like 3AM and my lips still looked wet but my 8AM they were normal. It's worth a try to prevent the dreaded winter chapped lips!

We all better get moisturizing!

xoxo

Review...

Pretties! So if you follow fashion or were a fan of The City you know Olivia Palermo and whether or not you like her, she has pretty good taste! Well, she has launched her style/life style blog and I don't know how I feel about it. The site is very clean looking but it borders on boring-it doesn't scream I am a socialite who sits front row at Fashion Week and know a lot of designers on a personal level. Not only that but there are more posts from other people on her team than from Olivia herself at this point. I am hoping that as time goes on the site livens up but I wouldn't say it's a style changing site. Between Olivia Palermo's site and Lauren Conrad's The Beauty Department site I would have to say Lauren's site is taking the cake as far as inspiration!

vs.

Check out the site- www.oliviapalermo.com for yourself and see what you think!  But thebeautydepartment.com is still my favorite. 

xoxo

Stay Healthy This Winter...

Monday again pretties! We are in the midst of an Indian Summer so the weather is perfect-warm without humidity! But eventually the temperature will fall and we'll all be scrambling to get our flu shots and keep from getting a cold. Growing up my mom didn't make us get flu shots because when she was younger she got the flu from a shot (I know people say it's impossible but she did) and got insanely sick. In order to keep myself feeling healthy all winter long I drink green tea and not the kind you find in the plastic bottles by Nestea or whatever-actual green tea steeped from the tea bag.
*Tazo Zen green tea is my absolute favorite!

Get yourself a cute re-useable to-go coffee cup and drink a cup of green tea a day! It's an acquired taste, I didn't instantly love it but the health benefits of green tea is worth a few funny faces until you love the taste! When you feel good on the inside you look better on the outside! It's also said that green tea has weight loss benefits, including belly fat-yuck!

So get sipping!

xoxo

The look...

Hello pretties! Yesterday after work I wandered into Old Navy because they were having a pretty good sale, 40% off the entire store, and I found two things that I have recently blogged about that I had to take home with me. The first thing I found was a leopard/ocelot print collared shirt- it's more sheer so it's not so obnoxious and I am going to wear it today with dark skinnies just to break it in. The second is red denim skinnies! I have been craving them since this summer when colored denim became popular but couldn't bring myself to spend a small fortune on a trend but they were like $20 after the sale! I wore them last night with a black top and got a few compliments on them :) I am going to get bold enough to wear the two together by the end of the season I just know it ;)

The pants are a lot brighter in person!

xoxo

There is no place like home

Hi pretties! I am so bummed that there is no Pretty Little Liars on tonight but how lucky the Halloween Special Event is only 15 days away :) So, lately I've been really excited because my orchid is about to bloom again!

At the beginning of the summer I bought this really pretty orchid, I don't know what possessed me to do so because my thumb is no shade of green but I saw them at the grocery store and couldn't help myself. It bloomed like crazy through the months of June and July but by August the flowers started to die and fall off and September it was basically sticks and leaves :( waa waa waa. I got it some orchid food and it has some new buds on it and I am so excited to have some pretty flowers in my room again!

This got me thinking that while fashion is always fun I think it is important to create a space full of things that make you happy as well. My room is filled with pictures, candles, Meowf, my orchid (named Bella), and Gabana my fish! When you're surrounded by things that make you happy, it becomes contagious!

My orchid (Bella) is more like this color! 

White is classic and looks so pretty by the front door or in the kitchen

I saw this dark purple and was tempted but I felt 2 would be a lot of work. I think the color is edgy and beautiful! 

These flowers are pretty particular- they need sunlight but not direct sunlight, they cannot get colder than like 65 degrees (I'm worried about this winter), and only need water once a week. The easiest way to water orchids is by placing 3 ice cubes in the pot once a week and let them melt. I've been using water since the blooms fell off to encourage re-blooming! Once you get the hang of the life cycle orchids are such a cool way to pretty-fy you're living space! 

I also wanted to introduce you to Gabana! He's a Beta fish I got like 3 years ago-my bestie got a Beta fish too named Dolce (Dolce & Gabana...get it?!) but Dolce and Dolce Jr. sadly are no longer with us! Gabana is so fiesty and Meowf tries to eat him everyday but he's growing bigger all the time! He's kind of hard to see in the picture but I've changed his room a little bit-he now has clear rocks and a hot pink plant! 

Make sure your space reflects your style and fill it with things that make you happy! 

xoxo

A girl can change her spots...

Happy Monday pretties! Whilst on vacation (*sigh*) I asked Kyle if he could be any sea creature what would he be, he said a shark because they're like the king of the ocean. So I said, "Then would you be a lion because they're king of the jungle?" He said "Yea, probably". And I'm sure you're wondering what the heck this has to do with fashion or anything else I post about and that this is just the ramblings of a girl dreaming of Mexico. Well it relates because I said "I'd be a Seahorse because they're adorable and I'd be a Cheetah because they run real fast and their outfits always look fierce".

Cheetah print is much like red in that it takes a bold woman to where it and most women don't, sad! I am obsessed with it and find that I usually wear leopard, or ocelot as Coach has named it, in my accessories. Coach does the perfect ocelot print (leopard/cheetah-whatever you want to call it) so a lot of my pieces are from Coach. I was tempted last year to buy a whole ocelot print bag when I snatched up the Madison Ocelot Slim Envelope wallet but I knew how dirty it would get and decided to go with leather instead.

So, for those of you who are ready to wear ocelot print I wanted to show you some of my favorite pieces so you can try to work it into your wardrobe :)

Last year I bought both of these infinity scarves from Coach, the black/grey for my mom but she never wears it so I borrow it. What I love about these infinity scarves is that they're so easy to wear and look great with a tee shirt, a blazer, or a cold weather coat. 

I wore the black/grey with a white blazer and black skinnies for a night out! 

This larger wristlet is perfect for running errands during the day (with the brown infinity scarf maybe?) or a night out.

Throw an ocelot scarf in your hair or tie a bow on your bag for just a touch.

Sometimes I'll wear just the scarf or the scarf and the wristlet, I have ocelot heels as well that I've talked about in a previous blog but I cannot bring myself to wear the scarf, wristlet, and heels all together. 

Fall is the perfect time to throw on some ocelot to punch up a monochromatic outfit. I love ocelot print and think you should too! ;) Especially on a Monday-we all need anything that can make us feel happy despite the week ahead! 

xoxo