Feb 24, 2014
Happy Monday! Another weekend flew by way too fast. Craig has been traveling for work a lot lately and I’m not going to lie, it’s been pretty stressful. All of the household duties combined with the evening taxi service for the kids makes for some long, tiring days. I go, go, go then collapse on the couch at 9:30 every night.
The worst part isn’t doing everything on my own though – I miss him, a lot. When Craig travels, he sometimes works up to 80 hours in a week in a clean room, usually resolving some urgent issue for a customer. So we don’t get to talk much. The other day I was feeling sorry for myself because I wanted to call and talk about some detail of my day with him and couldn’t. Then I thought about military spouses and how they go through months and sometimes years like that. It really put things in perspective. Trust me, I’m not complaining, his job is an incredible blessing and it allows me to work from home and serve my family. Life’s just a whole lot better when he’s home!
Monday
The kids had school off. Yay! Nothing better than a four day school week. We went to Chick-fil-A for lunch and did a little shopping. The weather was nice enough to wear a light military jacket.
[Military Jacket: Similar/Striped Shirt: Similar/Jeans: Forever 21/Neon Flats: Tieks]
Military Jacket
My military jacket is over a year old but here’s a very similar one.
[Caslon Military Jacket]
Here’s a great budget-friendly option!
[Old Navy Military Jacket]
Tuesday
Another day of stripes, yes they were the theme for the week! This outfit was really comfortable. I got to finally wear my snake print flats that I bought last fall right before it got too cold to wear them.
[Boyfriend Cardigan: Mossimo/Boyfriend Jeans: Gap (On Sale!)/Striped Top: Similar/Flats: Similar]
Snake Print Flats
Just like leopard, snake print is a neutral. It goes with so many things.
[Snake Print Flats]
[Jessica Simpson Snake Print Flats]
Wednesday
My neighbor and I had a girls’ day out. We went to see Philomena – great movie, it made me cry. Judi Dench was awesome, as always.
[Striped Top: Similar/Scarf: Similar/Jeans: Wit & Wisdom/Flats: Merona/Crossbody Bag: c/o Wink and Winn]
Boatneck Tee
Striped boatneck tees are perfect for spring. I can’t wait to pair one up with white jeans and a pop of color.
[Boatneck Tee]
Thursday
My parents came over for dinner. I threw this on to run a few errands beforehand. It’s one of those outfits that just kind of came together and it ended up being one of my favorites of the week.
[Shirt: Similar/Jeans: Paige/Belt: Similar/Watch: Michael Kors/Oxfords: Similar]
Oxfords
I got so many questions/comments on these oxfords. Mine are from last season so I couldn’t link to the original but here are some great alternatives.
[Bass Suede Oxfords]
Mine have a pink sole, which I love. This pair does too.
[Honeymoon Oxfords]
Friday
I wore something comfy for a day of “blog research” – a.k.a. shopping for the perfect pair of white jeans. I’m doing a post on Friday with my findings.
[Cardigan: c/o Wallis (Sold Out – Similar)/Floral Blouse: c/o Wallis (Sold Out)/Jeans: Similar/Flats: Merona]
Coral Flats
These shoes were perfect for shopping. They slipped on and off easily in the fitting room and my feet didn’t hurt all day long. They’re still on sale online only for just $15.99! They are regular price in the store.
[Coral Ballet Flats]
GYPO Style Challenges
If you want easy, done for you style and outfits, check out my GYPO Style Challenges! You get a seasonal shopping list plus 21 days worth of cute, casual outfit combinations like the ones I’m wearing above. Plus you get the spring 2014 Style Challenge for free just for signing up for my mailing list. Learn more HERE.
Feb 21, 2014
You’ve heard of the power suit but what about the power scarf? It really does exist! It’s a scarf with the power to transform your everyday outfit into something really special.
Let’s talk about the power of a scarf for a second. It’s an outfit maker in the truest sense and an inexpensive way to amp up your basics. That’s why this week’s casual chic outfit basic is dedicated to The Power Scarf.
If you don’t believe me, check out how a Power Scarf makes the outfit in each of these past looks.
Or in my Daily Style Diary selfies from the past couple of weeks.
See? The Power Scarf makes the outfit every time. It’s an all-around amazing accessory. So, what’s makes a scarf a Power Scarf? Well, it’s a magical formula of size, color and pattern.
Let’s deconstruct one of my favorites – this black, tan and coral Power Scarf from Wallis.
It’s got all of the elements of a great Power Scarf – the colors are vibrant, the print is bold, the size is generous and it goes with so many things. I guess that’s why I wear it all the time.
Unfortunately Wallis doesn’t carry that scarf anymore (BUMMER!) but they do have one with similar colors – black, tan and a pop of coral.
[Tribal Print Scarf]
This one from Loft has a similar color combo too.
[Stripe Square Paillette Scarf]
GRAPHIC PRINTS
Graphic patterns happen to be one of my favorites when it comes to scarves. They’re bold and they always make a statement. They’re also a lot easier to wear than you may think. If they scare you, just keep the rest of your look simple.
[Glenda Scarf]
[Double Stripe Scarf]
[Get This Look]
[Sunrise Shadow Scarf]
[Geometric Patterns Scarf]
[Watercolor Hummingbird Scarf]
[Bright Stripes Scarf]
FLORAL PATTERNS
Floral scarves are probably my favorite for spring. They look adorable with stripes and also pair well with denim shirts and pastel jeans.
Wouldn’t this one be perfect with a black and white striped top and some pink jeans? It’s a great price too!
[Floral Print Woven Scarf]
[Gauze Watercolor Scarf]
[Pink Cameo Pastel Scarf]
OUTFIT INSPIRATION
[1/2/3]
I love this look featuring a simple t-shirt and jeans and can’t wait to try it out!
[Via]
This has nothing to do with scarves but…
Yay! I’ve heard from a lot of you this week and you’re loving the popover tunic as much as I do. One reader said “It’s very J. Crew without the high price tag”. YES! I went back to Target this week to get it in pink and they were out of my size. The good news is most sizes are still in stock online, so get them while you can. My local Target doesn’t carry all eight colors, so I’ll have to order them. At least Target.com has free shipping with the 5% Redcard discount! Now the big decision is whether to get it in white and Caribbean blue too. Which colors do you like best?
[Merona Popover Tunic]
I didn’t leave Target empty handed, that would be a shame. Instead I got these super comfortable coral ballet flats.
Isn’t this color great for spring? Wish I had waited and ordered them online because I could’ve saved some money, they’re on sale for $15.99! That’s OK because I’ll be ordering them in the ivory/black and metallic. They’re just a great, comfortable everyday flat and fit true to size. I wear an 8.5 and they fit perfectly.
[Madeleine Ballet Flats]
SPRING TRANSITIONAL STYLE PREVIEW
Even though spring is a little way off (well, a lot for some of you!), I thought it would be fun to start previewing some spring style. I love that my favorite retailers are finally getting it – there’s a transition time between winter and spring and we need clothes for it! They used to jump right into the warmer weather season without giving us ample choices for the awkward transitional time.
Loft
[Lace Front Cardigan]
I have a whole post coming up dedicated to trench coats. Until then, this classic from Loft is a great investment that will last for years.
[Colorblock Trench Coat]
Gap
Pastels are all the rage for spring and Gap has plenty of transitional pieces to fill in the “gaps” in your wardrobe. 🙂
These fun legging jeans come in five pastel colors including a pretty mint.
[1969 Legging Jeans]
[Sunwashed Sweatshirt]
[Essential Striped V-neck]
And of course, they still have their perennial favorites like the 1969 Boyfriend Jeans.
[1969 Sexy Boyfriend Jeans]
Old Navy
Old Navy’s spring styles usually win me over but this year they left me kind of “meh”. I do love their jackets and still wear my white denim jacket I bought there five years ago. I’m so happy they still carry it. It’s a classic and looks great with all of spring’s pastels.
[White Denim Jacket]
I also love this striped hooded pullover. It would be adorable with boyfriend jeans and red flats.
[Striped Hooded Pullover]
No spring transitional style preview would be complete without including some fun flats. I seriously can’t wait to put my boots away for the winter. Here are some I’ve got my eye on.
These would be perfect with boyfriend jeans, a white tee and a pink, mint or yellow cardigan.
[DV8 Totem Print Flat]
[DV8 Black/White/Coral Flat]
[Anne Klein ‘Buttons’ Linen and Gold Flats]
[Lucky Brand ‘Emmie Luxe Leopard’ Flat]
Of course, no spring footwear collection would be complete without a great pair of rain boots. I saw these yesterday and fell hard in love. I don’t need another but boy do I want them!
[Joules Ladies’ Wellington]
Check out the other Casual Chic Outfit Basics in this series:
Dark Wash Skinny Jeans
Riding Boots
The Boyfriend Cardigan
And be sure to stop by on Monday for my Daily Style Diary post for more casual everyday outfit inspiration. Have a great weekend!
Getting my pretty on with The Pleated Poppy, Monday Mingle and Fashion Friday.
Feb 19, 2014
It’s mid-February in Texas which means spring is just around the corner. We’ve enjoyed some 75 degree days already this week. There’s nothing better than a February day spent on the patio. Of course, Mother Nature is fickle and we’re bound to get some cold temps again but this week has been a nice break in the winter doldrums.
If you’re following my Daily Style Diary posts on Instagram, you’ve probably already noticed that I’m transitioning out of my winter wardrobe into more spring-y looks. I’m so ready for my boots to go into hibernation for the season!
Before we say hello to spring style and goodbye to winter, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at my favorite winter outfits and ways to transition pieces of them into spring. Yes, I’m aware that there will probably be plenty of winter wear opportunities ahead, but it’s nice to dream of warmer weather and start planning our wardrobes accordingly too!
Outfit One
Keep for Spring: Striped Top
Stripes are great year-round. Pair them up with florals, polka dots, pastel jeans and every other spring trend you can think of.
[Striped Scoop Back Tee]
Outfit Two
Keep for Spring: Denim Shirt
Yes, denim shirts are still on the scene for spring. They look cute paired up with a floral scarf and some fun pastel colored jeans.
[1969 Western Shirt]
Outfit Three
Keep for Spring: Rain Boots
Rain boots are a no-brainer for spring showers. These come in seven different colors including this punchy red.
[Kamik Jennifer Boots]
Outfit Four
Keep for Spring: Leggings
You better bet I’ll be wearing my SPANX leggings in the spring. They’ll be perfect with long tunic blouses and cute flats.
[SPANX ‘Look at Me’ Shaping Leggings]
Outfit Five
Keep for Spring: More Rain Boots
Spring is the wettest season after all, so more than one pair of rain boots makes perfect sense. I love this violet pair.
[Hunter Original Gloss Violet]
It’s Your Turn: What winter trends will you be carrying over into spring? Tell me in the comments.
BLOG PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
If you’re a blogger who does your own photography, then you have to check out this girl. Megan Mueller specializes in photography for lifestyle and fashion bloggers. I recently won a free shoot with her and can’t wait to feature it on the blog later this spring. She’s a super sweet girl who offers free photography tips about lighting, composition, best times of day to shoot and more. Her post “Are You Making These 6 Lighting Mistakes” was extremely helpful (I was making a few of them!). Stop by to sign up for her free blog photography tips HERE.
I FEEL PRETTY
It’s the day of the week at GYPO where we celebrate what makes us feel pretty. Whether it’s a new outfit, hairstyle, or makeup, the I Feel Pretty link up is about anything and everything that makes your life prettier. Even if you’re not a blogger, you can still play along. Just tell us what made you feel pretty this week in the comments!
There are just a few simple rules:
1. Follow GYPO. (Bloglovin‘, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest)
2. Link up your pretty post.
3. Link back to my blog (using the button above or your own link).
4. Visit other pretty peeps.
Getting my pretty on with The Pleated Poppy.
Feb 18, 2014
Did you know that according to a survey by Tresemme, the average woman spends over $50,000 on her hair in her lifetime? She also spends $120 on shampoo, $120 for styling products and another $330 on hair color annually.
A few years ago, I was spending much more than that on hair color – over $100 every 6 weeks just to keep my grays at bay. Eventually I switched to buying boxed hair color at the drugstore and doing it myself. It was a much cheaper solution but my hair suffered for it. The harsh chemicals in box color can dry out and damage hair. Plus I never seemed to get great color results – the picture on the box never matched what I ended up with.
One day I wandered into my local beauty supply store for some advice on professional products to use at home. The associate thankfully recognized the newbie in me and took me on a tour of the store, gathering everything I needed to get started and explaining each step of the process.
What she taught me is coloring your hair professionally at home is a lot easier than it seems. You just need to know what to buy and how to mix and apply. The best part? I spend under $100 per year on professional looking hair color now, about $8 per month. Now that’s a savings!
How to Professionally Color Your Hair at Home
1. Buy Your Basic Supplies – You’ll need to make a one time investment in hair coloring supplies but they should cost under $15. Here’s a list of basics to get you started.
- Salon quality latex gloves
- Plastic mixing bowl
- Applicator brush
- Applicator bottle
2. Select your color. When choosing your hair color, ask lots of questions. The employees in beauty supply stores generally know their stuff. There are many brands and types of hair color and it can be overwhelming. The employee can guide you to the type of hair color best suited for your hair type and the results you want. You’ll need to decide if you’re doing a permanent, semi-permanent, demi-permanent or temporary (wash out) color. If you have any gray in your hair, that will also determine which brand and type you select. For best results don’t go any more than two shades lighter or darker than your natural color. Leave that to the experts.
3. Choose your developer. The main difference between boxed colors from the drugstore and coloring your hair using professional products is that the color and developer are purchased separately. Developers generally come in volumes of 10, 20, 30 and 40. A developer of 10 is to deposit color only, meaning it doesn’t open the hair shaft to “lift” your color. This is ideal for most hair colors and gives you a pretty true color result. As the volume number goes up, so does the lift level. If you want to do highlights or lighter blonde, you would need to go with a higher volume of 30 or 40. Sound complicated? It’s not. The hair color you select will usually tell you which volume of developer to buy. If it doesn’t, the associate can point you in the right direction.
4. Mix your color and developer in the bowl or bottle and apply immediately. Once you have your products purchased, you can then mix them according to package instructions (there will be an insert with the color) and apply starting at your roots. Most of the time, the ratio of color to developer is 1:1. The bottle and bowl are both conveniently marked so you can easily measure out the right amount of product. Most of the time, you’ll be mixing 2 oz. of hair color with 2 oz. of developer. Your wait time for processing will also depend on the result you want. The package instructions will give you a guide. I generally leave my color on for 30-35 minutes in order to cover my stubborn grays.
That’s it! It’s really pretty easy and not at all intimidating. What I love most about coloring my hair at home is that I have complete control over the color results. I’ve even started to experiment with mixing different colors within my natural color level to create my own custom color. In the fall and winter, I mix up darker neutral brunettes and then gradually lighten to more golden tones in the spring and summer.
My hair is healthier now than it was when I used boxed hair color. My friends are always shocked when I tell them that I color it myself. I’ve even taken some of them along to the beauty supply store to get started. 🙂
It’s Your Turn: How much are you spending on salon hair color? Would you consider DIY with professional products at home or is it too intimidating to try?
Feb 17, 2014
Did you have a good Valentine’s weekend? Mine was nice. We spent most of it relaxing and then my sisters and I had a birthday party for my mom yesterday. We went for mani/pedi’s together afterward. It was a much needed break! I have to honestly say that last week was one of the busiest I’ve had in a long time. Too busy. The kind of busy that sucks the joy out of everyday life. The kind of busy that prompted me to buy this book. I just have to find the time to read it. Here’s to a calmer, less hectic week ahead!
I turned to Pinterest for a lot of inspiration for last week’s outfits. When life gets really busy, it’s nice to have some formulas on the style board to turn to for quick dressing. If you’re following along on Instagram, you already get these looks live. Mondays are a recap post with links to what I’m wearing.
P.S. If you missed it yesterday, I finally twisted Craig’s arm enough to let me style him for the blog! Check it out HERE. 🙂
Monday
I took my dad for his carpal tunnel surgery on this day. Thank you all for the prayers and well wishes. Everything went great and he’s on the mend now. If you saw Friday’s post, then you know that this look was a recreation of an inspiration outfit I found on Pinterest.
[Sweater/Denim Shirt/Jeans/Scarf/Boots]
Tuesday
Casual sweatshirt day. This was comfortable and felt totally put together at the same time. My kind of outfit.
[Sweatshirt: Loft – Sold Out (Similar)/Jeans: Loft/Tank: Mossimo/Boots: Similar]
I’ve gotten lots of questions on the layering tanks that I wear. I’ve been wearing these for years, just the right length.
[Mossimo Long and Lean Tank]
Wednesday
This was my laundry and cleaning day so I *almost* didn’t get changed out of my yoga pants. But I had to run errands in the late afternoon and evening so I decided to make a little effort. Plus Craig got back from a business trip that evening, so I wanted to look decent. 🙂
[Sweater: Old Navy/Jeans: Similar/Tee: Old Navy/Scarf: Similar/Boots: Frye]
Mint jeans make me think that spring isn’t too far away. Here’s an amazing deal on this pair of Vigoss.
[Vigoss Skinny Jagger in Mint]
Thursday
College visit day! We took a road trip to take Devon for a recruiting visit (more on that at the end of this post). It was a long but fun day with lots of meetings and walking, so I dressed for comfort in my leopard flats.
[Sweater/Striped Shirt: Similar/Jeans/Scarf: Similar/Flats/Watch]
I live in my leopard flats when the weather is nice enough to wear them. My pair is no longer available but here are some other great options and both are ON SALE!
[Corso Como Famenka]
[Corso Como Elke]
You’ve probably already noticed that I wear one of my striped shirts at least weekly. They just work so well with everything – leopard, polka dots, floral…
[Scoop Back Ballet Tee]
Friday
It’s not easy being green, especially on Valentine’s Day! Craig came home early from work to take me to lunch, then we both went to Ava’s classroom party.
[Shirt: Merona/Jeans: Forever 21/Flats: Sole Society (Similar)/Necklace: Kendra Scott/Watch: Michael Kors]
Aren’t these popovers so cute for spring? They come in eight different colors and at this price, I want them ALL!
[Merona Popover in Mahal Green]
I got mine in my regular size (small) but definitely could have sized up to a medium. They run a little on the small side.
The bright colored popovers are the perfect backdrop for the Kendra Scott “Rayne” necklace. I wear mine with everything.
[Kendra Scott ‘Rayne’ Necklace]
LIFE LATELY
Devon’s recruiting visit went great. We really liked the school and coaches. It’s a very small private university about three hours from home. He has a big decision to make now, whether he wants the commitment of playing football in college or not. We have two more visits planned (at large schools, not for football), then he will make his decision.- New favorite road trip snack! These dill pickle sunflower seeds are completely addicting. Craig said I looked like Ava’s hamster stuffing them in my mouth. 🙂
- We witnessed Ava falling off her horse for the first time while jumping. His hoof brushed her face but otherwise, she was fine. She’s taken plenty of “dirt baths” (as her trainer calls them), but Craig and I had never actually seen one. We were both a little shaken up. It’s an inherently dangerous sport so we try not to think about it.
- Craig made chocolate fondue for the girls and me for a Valentine’s Day treat. YUM!
Happy Monday! Hope your week is off to a great start.
Getting my pretty on with Fashion Friday, The Pleated Poppy and Monday Mingle.
Monday
[Military Jacket: Similar/Striped Shirt: Similar/Jeans: Forever 21/Neon Flats: Tieks]
[Boyfriend Cardigan: Mossimo/Boyfriend Jeans: Gap (On Sale!)/Striped Top: Similar/Flats: Similar]
[Striped Top: Similar/Scarf: Similar/Jeans: Wit & Wisdom/Flats: Merona/Crossbody Bag: c/o Wink and Winn]
[Shirt: Similar/Jeans: Paige/Belt: Similar/Watch: Michael Kors/Oxfords: Similar]
[Cardigan: c/o Wallis (Sold Out – Similar)/Floral Blouse: c/o Wallis (Sold Out)/Jeans: Similar/Flats: Merona]
