Monday Favs...

Happy Monday everyone! This weekend was crazzzzzy! From the Saturday I spent in Chicago with my boyfriend, his brother and his girlfriend to Sunday at work with a broken air conditioner, all the glistening (my word for when I sweat) I am ready for a season change. But instead I have kind of a funny story for you, I walked into work Sunday not knowing the air conditioning had broke so I had to run down to Old Navy and buy a black polo so I didn't die from heat exhaustion. So after work I pulled the original clothes I walked into work wearing from my locker and got a huge whiff of my perfume and fell in love with it all over again. It's Miss Dior Cherie which I bought at the beginning of summer and remembered again why I love it so much! I have never really found a fragrance that became my signature and just drifted from scent to scent aimlessly trying to figure out what my favorite is...FOUND IT!!

Plus this ad reminds me of a picture I recently took...who wouldn't want to get carried away in Paris by a flock of balloons?

Minus the adorable pink dress and to die for hair! 

P.S. Fun news for Coach-Gwenyth Paltrow is featured in the 70th Anniversary campaign for the company! Sneak Peek...

To the Maxi...

So it's Thursday and I am really looking forward to this weekend because I finally have a Saturday off (those are hard to come by in the retail world). So my bf and I are planning a trip down to Chicago for the day and I am freaking out about what to wear but that's not why I am here :) It's because I have been loving maxi dresses lately!! I don't have a ton of options but every time I put one of the few I have on I wonder why I am not always in them. Maxi dresses are like the easiest summer uniform ever! Just slip it on and add a few different accessories and viola you are ready to go. It's really cute though, every time I've worn one this summer my boyfriend thinks I am dressed up when really I am feeling casual to the max ;).

So I am wondering how I can take my maxis into the beginning of fall without looking like a freak. Maxi dresses with blazers, leather bomber jackets, and cardigans are sounding like the way to go. Also adding the right jewelry can totally take a maxi into fall, for example throwing on a long strand of pearls, an arm full of cuffs, or an obnoxiously large cocktail ring can do the trick. Another great way to transform your maxi is putting a long sleeved tee underneath it!

Pair some great ankle booties or the "it" boot for fall and you are comfy and stylish! Who knew?! Just make sure if your maxi is printed that it's not too summery of a print otherwise you'll just look crazy!

p.s. I am thinking of doing "outfits of the day" and maybe I'll start with my outfit for Chicago saturday! YAY

Pretty in Barbie Pink...

Hiiiii! I have been sort of bored with my nail polish collection lately but haven't found a color worth purchasing either so I decided to take two colors and combine them and see what happens! Here are the results...

The base was Essie "Need a Vacation" with Essie "Kisses and Bises" as the topcoat

I love it! I think I am going to try "Kisses and Bises" over some of my other colors, especially shades other then pick. Essie "Tart Deco" might look pretty with the pink iridescent over it! I am so obsessed with nail polish it's upsetting! 

I also wanted to share my kitty Meowf with you, she is precious! 

Snuggled up in Coach silk scarves! Such a little diva! 

Style Anyone?

Ok so Monday is almost over and I slacked major this weekend posting anything but I wanted to post about this before the day was done. So I absolutely love books not Kindles or Nooks with books loaded onto them but actual books they look better stacked on a coffee table or book shelf; but that's besides the point. There are three style books that I think are worth investing in.

 The first is Who What Where by Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power, these two women founded the website whowhatwear.com which is also great for outfit ideas and trend alerts. The book takes celebrity and runway style and shows us how to translate that into real life. This is one of the biggest challenges when interpreting runway looks because they are meant to be viewed as art but are not practical for running to the grocery store. With chapters that help you learn to shop vintage, clean out your closet, decide which beauty products are worth splurging and which are not, and how to choose which trend is right for you this book is a good guide for creating your signature look.

My second book I love is What to Wear, Where, also by Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power, Hillary was an Associate Editor at Elle and has written for Teen Vogue, Maxim, and Nylon while Katherine Power was formerly the West Coast Editor of Elle and Ellegirl; in case you were wondering why you should listen to what these women have to say. This book is the perfect book if you're always wondering what to wear and if what you've got on is appropriate for a specific occasion. The chapters go in alphabetical order by occasion with examples of what each girl would wear to the occasion, a few other appropriate options, and what to stay away from. The great thing about this book is even if your style isn't exactly that of Hillary or Katherine's it gives you the silhouettes or basic shell of the appropriate outfit and let the details be your own. It has seriously been a life saver for me a couple of times.

The third book I wanted to talk about is Style by Lauren Conrad. So Ms. Conrad is one of my favorite celebrities and I adore her style so it was only natural I would acquire her Style book. I will warn you if you're not a fan of Lauren you may not like this book but I absolutely love it. It combines fashion, beauty, and lifestyle to help the reader create a style that transcends clothes (one of the last things Lauren leaves you with is the importance of writing thank you notes to people who have done something for you). My favorite part about this book is editing and organizing your closet to make it easier to "shop". I forget things I can't see so I am constantly going through my closet and getting rid of what I don't wear anymore so I can see what I have. Style is a good read for those getting their own personal look together but still want to be timeless and comfortable.

Happy reading! 

Holy Heat Wave!!!!

Ok I am over the sweltering heat already! A heat wave has hit the Midwest this week and it makes me miss my two favorite seasons even more-fall & winter! I've already started shopping my closet for new looks for fall and winter, plus working retail we're always a season ahead so fall colors are trickling their way into the store. While picking up a few essentials at Target I found some really cute pleated crop pants in camel...

With some ankle booties and some cute tops tucked in, maybe striped or something black. I just thought they would be easy to dress up for nights out or dress down for running errands. And decently priced @ $24.99 :). With the pleated top it tends to thin out the waist and make you appear thinner, always a plus. I have some wide-leg trousers with a pleated top and tie belt similar to these and I adore how easy they are to wear so a skinnier cropped pair would be a nice addition to my closet.

So after work yesterday I was bored so I wandered into J.Crew and found a sweater on sale that I couldn't take my eyes off of. In my fall mind I thought why not! My boyfriend thinks I am crazy for buying a sweater in the middle of July but I just couldn't help myself and he should know how I just love fall & winter, right?

Much like the pants this sweater can be dressed up or down! You can find the sweater on the J.Crew factory website but I bought mine in-store and got it for 50% off the lowest price! I love getting a bargain! J.Crew has become one of my favorite stores and I will definitely be going back for great oxfords and sweaters for the upcoming season.

For now I'll be hanging out in the pool but watching the leaves for any hint of color change ;)

-A

Good morning! It's finally Tuesday and hopefully you know what the means...PRETTY LITTLE LIARS is on tonight! I love this show for so many reasons the mystery, secrets, hot guys, and even better outfits! I know most people see Aria (Lucy Hale's character) as the standout in the fashion department, her outfits are always different and fresh. Aria is the one who inspired my obsession with feathers (earrings and extensions) but it's Hanna (played be Ashley Benson) who I relate to more as far as taste.

From her ever changing nail polish color, sometimes even mismatched (hello, soulmate) to her hair and leather jackets Hanna is usually who I cannot wait to see for inspiration. My favorite outfit from Hanna so far is this...

From Season one in the episode "Know your frenemies", I cannot get enough of blazers and love that this trend ended up becoming a staple for any girls wardrobe! The look is definitely pulled together without being boring, I need to work more red into my closet for sure.

So far season two has not disappointed in so many ways but Hanna has gotten a lot more glamorous, if thats even possible. Thus far I am loving this look from Hanna

From the episode "My name is trouble", the details on this fairly black and white outfit give it some interest. The chain pin on her jacket roughs up the sweet skirt without being too flashy or overbearing. I love the feminine with a touch of rough, it keeps people guessing! Can't wait for tonight to see what the girls have in store, I'm sure I'll be blogging about it tomorrow

*I also have to do a pic montage of Aria's feathers :)

Love!!!

ABC: All about you

A-Available? Happily, no!
B-Birthday: September 8th
C-Crushing on? Besides my boyfraand...Robert Pattinson <3
D-Drink you last had? Coffee (yum)
E-Easiest Person to talk to? My bestie Kasey
F-Favorite song at the moment? um anything new Britney!
G-Girl or Boy? Lady
H-Hometown: Born in Lake Villa, IL and moved to Kenosha, WI when I was about 7yrs old.
I-In love with...My puppies Zoey and Talayla (her real name is Taylor but I want Tinsley so I refuse to call her by her real name), my kitty Meowf, my fish Gabana, and my orchid Bella
J-Juggle? I can just two things at once but definitely not three
K-Killed someone? Heck no
L-Longest car ride: From Florida to Wisconsin, it took about 18hrs if I do recall
M-Milkshake flavor? Banana
N-Number of siblings: 1 older brother
O-One Wish: That I could save all the tortured, unloved, and forgotten animals and keep them at this big huge sanctuary where they could live w/o fear
P-Person you last called: My brother I think, or maybe Molly
Q-?
R-Reason to smile: Because I woke up today still healthy with everyone I love in my life safe
S-Song you last heard: I wanna go by Britney Spears (I don't think I've taken her Femme Fatale album out of my car CD player since I bought it)
T-Time you woke up? 8am I love to sleep in on my days off but lately I feel guilty wasting the day
U-Underwear:Right meow, black and hot pink zebra
V-Vegetables: Yum, I love. I am mostly vegetarian so vegetables are my main food of choice!
W-Worst Habit:Laughing at everything. It's hard to take me seriously when I very rarely take myself too seriously
X-X-ray you've most recently had: Last March when I got back from Vegas I had an x-ray on my foot and I guess I fractured one of my the bones from my sandals. Heels or sandals, you're feet are not safe in Vegas either way.
Y-You are: wishing for fall! I love fall fashion way more than spring and summer
Z-Zodiac sign- Virgo