Feb 5, 2014
I really appreciated all of your comments about age appropriate fashion on last week’s mother/daughter style post. Apparently there are a lot of us that struggle with finding the right balance between looking trendy and feeling comfortable walking out the door wearing a trend. Especially those of us with teens who don’t want to embarrass ourselves or them!
Thanks to Sheaffer’s awesome idea (and many of you agreed, because let’s face it, she’s brilliant!), I’ve decided to make this a regular monthly feature. Once a month, my 15 year-old daughter Aubrey and I will be showing you two age-appropriate ways that we’re styling the same piece of clothing. One way for a teen and one way for a mom that’s, well, let’s just say young at heart. 🙂
Since it’s February, the month of love, we decided to style this graphic sweater.
[Sweater: c/o Persunmall]
GRAPHIC SWEATER | MOTHER + DAUGHTER STYLE
When I first saw this piece, I honestly didn’t think I could pull it off and am still not 100% sure if I did. It was fun to create an outfit around it, it’s just not something I would probably reach for to wear in my everyday life.
We both picked leopard prints to pair it with, which I found interesting. Like mother, like daughter!
On Aubrey:
Aubrey went with a cozy, casual look with leopard print leggings, a long layering tank and her Ugg’s. This outfit is SO her!
[Sweater: c/o Persunmall/Leggings: c/o Persunmall/Boots: UGG/Tank: Forever 21/Bracelet: c/o Ettika]
On Alison:
The sweater is a little on the short side so I started off with a long layering tank too. The blush jeans worked really well with the rest of the neutrals and kind of give it more of a Valentine’s Day feel. I felt like it needed something more so the leopard scarf was added as a finishing touch.
[Sweater: c/o Persunmall/Jeans: Loft (on clearance!)/Scarf: Similar/Tank: Mossimo/Boots: Similar/Bracelet: c/o Ettika]
Yes, I’m still crazy about my blush jeans I bought last fall. I’ve worn them all winter and will continue to through the spring. If you are still considering a pair, they’re 60% off on final sale.
[Moto Ankle Zip Jean]
I love them paired up with my taupe suede boots. This pair is very similar to mine and on sale for 30% off. The taupe/gray color goes with everything.
[Seychelles Taupe Suede Boot]
Since we’re styling other members of the family on the blog now, here’s a little kitty couture.
Yes, she hated every second of this! 🙂
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 Fashion Friday and The Pleated Poppy.
Jan 30, 2014
Having a 14 (almost 15) year-old daughter in the house is actually pretty great for helping me dress my age. Every time I try a new trend, I ask for her input and she’s more than happy to give it. I do this not only because I want to look age appropriate, but also because I don’t want to embarrass her with what I wear.
You’d be surprised at what humiliates her these days. I can’t do the robot in the car anymore, she hates it when I sing in the aisles at Target and she was completely dismayed when I danced in a flash mob at her high school pep rally. OK, I need to defend myself on that last one. In all fairness, humiliation was the goal but her older brother was the intended recipient. The senior football moms wanted to do something really memorable for our sons at the last pep rally of the year. We chose maximum embarrassment by doing a flash mob. It worked really well.
At any rate, I won’t embarrass her or myself by dressing inappropriately for my age. That’s where I draw the line. But where is the line between looking on trend and dressing too young? It gets a little blurred especially when we sometimes shop at the same stores and share clothes.
But I’ve discovered that the key to keeping pieces age appropriate is really simple. It’s all in how you pair them up.
Let’s take this sweater for example.
[Back Hole Knit Sweater]
Mother/Daughter Style
Aubrey and I each styled it in our own age appropriate ways. I picked out more sophisticated pieces like plum jeans and a long necklace with ankle boots, while she opted for a youthful look with bright jeans, a scarf and combat boots.
[On Alison: Sweater: c/o Persunmall/Jeans/Necklace (Similar)/Earrings]
[On Aubrey: Sweater: c/o Persunmall/Scarf/Jeans/Boots]
[Bracelet: c/o Ettika – Get 25% off site wide at Ettika.com with coupon code EXCL25]
It’s Your Turn: How do you define age appropriate style? Share your tips in the comments.
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.
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Getting my pretty on with Fashion Friday.
Jan 22, 2014
Last week, I sent out my very first reader survey. When the responses started to roll in, I got that same feeling that I used to get right before a performance review at my corporate job. The butterflies, the sweaty palms, the fear of finding out what you all really think of me.
The great news is, it wasn’t that scary after all. You guys are truly the sweetest, nicest, most helpful and BEST READERS EVER! Even when you did offer criticism or suggestions for improvement (which I asked for), you did it in the most constructive and helpful way possible. And the positive feedback? Well it completely overwhelmed me. I am so humbled and honored to be able to share this blog with you.
On to the results!
The top five pieces of feedback I got were the following:
#1 – You want more personal posts.
This was hands-down the biggest request. You have NO idea how happy this makes me! This was something that I had no clue you wanted more of. There are so many things that I wanted to share here but just skipped out on it because I didn’t know if you’d be interested. But I’ve been dying to tell you! Life is exciting right now – our son just got his first acceptance letters for college and we’re scheduling visits. We’ve had our challenges too – our daughter made the decision to quit gymnastics after ten years. Lots of changes and transitions going on. There are so many more things I want to share with you guys and I’m beyond excited that you actually want to hear about them!
#2 – You want less sponsored content.
A million times THANK YOU for being honest about this. The last thing I want to do is be inauthentic or sales-y. Yuck. I would totally suck as a salesperson, that’s why I’ve never been one. 🙂 Please forgive me if I turned you off with sponsored posts and most of all, thank you for sticking around if I did. I totally get it now and my goal is to strike a better balance.
I wish I could blog for free, I really do. For the most part I did up, until I got laid off last year. While I am first and foremost a personal blogger, I am also a digital publisher. I’ve had the privilege of being accepted into some pretty awesome publishing networks like BlogHer. They provide me with an opportunity to supplement our family’s income through blogging. The primary way my blog makes money is through sponsored content and ads. Affiliate sales are just a small percentage. Most readers are here for inspiration, not to buy anything, and that’s perfectly fine. But it does put me in a position where I have to post sponsored content sometimes. Otherwise, blogging can be an expensive hobby and I’m not in a position to have one of those right now. Especially with a kid going off to college in a few months!
Having said that, monetization is important but what good is it if nobody wants to read your blog? This has slapped me upside the head. Unfortunately some sponsored content is a necessary evil but I will try my hardest to only accept opportunities that tie in well with what you want more of. Much like flipping through the ads in a magazine or DVR’ing your favorite show and skipping the commercials, feel free to only read what you like here too. I won’t mind at all! Just don’t let it be something that keeps you away for good.
#3 -You like that I interact with you.
If not for this community, there wouldn’t be a blog! You truly are what makes this worthwhile. If you’re a reader who doesn’t comment because you don’t see me responding in the comments section, I want you to know that I respond to every single comment that I get through e-mail (or by visiting your blog, if you’re a blogger). My reason for doing it through e-mail is because I can get more personal and I know that you’ll read them. Not everyone goes back to a blog post to see if they got a response on their comment. I love connecting through the e-mails we send back and forth and have made many new friends through my comments section, some that have become real-life friends.
#4 -You’re here for the outfits.
By a landslide, outfit posts were the winner with 80% of respondents preferring them most of all. The runners-up were beauty, trend watches, home decor and health. I hear you loud and clear and will be giving you more of what you want and less of what you don’t!
#5 – You want casual, affordable, easy to put together, age-appropriate outfits, that fit your body well.
Amen sisters! My goal is to create effortless outfits that are affordable and on trend, yet completely age-appropriate. A lot of you also mentioned fit and dressing for your body type as challenges. I’ll be more aware of that and try to offer options and advice for fit when I can.
Many of you also mentioned wanting to see more casual outfits. So, on Monday I started a Daily Style Diary post of my photos on Instagram to show you my outfits I’m wearing for everyday. I can’t promise you there will be one every single day but I’ll try to post as many as I can. You can find the outfits I’ve posted so far by searching hash tag #dailymomstyle.
Again, thank you for your honesty and candor. Your kind responses were just simply overwhelming. The fashion and beauty challenges that you shared have given me so many ideas for future posts and I couldn’t be more excited to dig into them. I want this to be a place you enjoy coming to every day where we can be friends talking about style, beauty and all of the things that girlfriends love to share.
[Trench: c/o eShakti (similar)/Sweater: Loft/Jeans: Paige/Scarf: American Eagle (similar)/Boots: c/o Wallis/Watch: c/o Fossil/Earrings: c/o Zocorra/Sunglasses: Ray-Ban]
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. (Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin‘)
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.
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Getting my pretty on with Fashion Friday, Fashion Informant, What I’m Loving Friday, Friday’s Fab Favorites, What I Wore to Work, Tres Chic Thursday, The Pleated Poppy and Shanna.
Jan 15, 2014
I love closet pieces that can do double duty. My new cable knit waterfall sweater from Good Night Macaroon is one of those pieces. It’s great dressed up or down and helps me make the most out of my closet staples I already own.
If you missed Monday’s post, be sure to stop by and check out Good Night Macaroon’s celebrity favorites, including these pieces worn by two of my style icons – Olivia Palermo and Miranda Kerr. Plus, through midnight tonight save 20% on all of my Blogger’s Picks (offer details below).
[L to R: On Olivia: Black Fur Vest/On Miranda: Biker Skinny Pants/On Olivia: Fur Collar Puffer Vest]
WATERFALL SWEATER – TWO WAYS
For my dressed up look, I paired the waterfall sweater with black ankle pants and heels for my husband’s work party over the weekend.
[Sweater: c/o Good Night Macaroon/Pants: Mossimo/Clutch: Similar/Watch: c/o Fossil/Bracelet: Forever 21/Sunglasses: Ray-Ban/Shoes: Tahari (Similar)]
For my casual look, I paired it up with jeans, a scarf and my Hunter Wellies.
[Sweater: c/o Good Night Macaroon/Jeans: Similar/Boots: Hunter/Scarf: Similar/Coat: Similar/Sunglasses: Ray Ban]
EXCLUSIVE GYPO DISCOUNT
Get 20% off all of my Blogger’s Picks at Good Night Macaroon, including the sweater in today’s post, with code GETYOURPRETTYON. Hurry, this offer ends at midnight PST tonight!
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. (Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin‘)
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 What I’m Loving Friday, Fashion Friday, Fashion Informant and The Pleated Poppy.
Jan 8, 2014
First off, thank you all SO MUCH for allowing me to take a couple of weeks away from the blogging world. It was so good for my soul. I got to spend lots of quality time with my family – watching movies, playing card games, taking the girls to get our nails done. Hubby and I reconnected by going out on a real date night and getting a massage together. I also tackled some long overdue home projects, like cleaning out the fridge and organizing our pantry. It’s not Pinterest worthy, but it’s a heckuva lot better! I even found time to take an online business course, read a book and set some 2014 goals for myself and GYPO. It was definitely a much needed, productive and very refreshing break.
Thanks for coming back this week for the I Feel Pretty link up. In case you missed yesterday’s post, I’m now one of the co-hosts of the new Beauty Buzz link up every Tuesday along with Lulu of Simply Lulu Style, Nicole of MomTrends, and Janise of Mama in Heels. Each week, we’ll be taking turns hosting the link up and sharing beauty news you can use. You’re invited to link up your beauty posts and join in the fun. Check out yesterday’s link up HERE.
I also took advantage during my break to spend as much time in leggings as possible. Real pants not required! Here’s one of my warm and comfy looks featuring my favorite faux leather leggings.
[Coat: Similar/Sweater: Mossimo/Scarf: Michael Stars (Similar)/Leggings: Mimi Chica/Boots: Frye/Watch: Fossil]
My plum double breasted wool coat has been one of my closet staples for the past few winters. The color works amazingly well with just about everything. The one I have is no longer available but here’s a similar one on sale now for 33% off.
[Double Breasted Lambswool Coat]
These faux leather leggings are also available for a steal. They add a fun edge to your leggings outfits. Pair them up with long chunky knit sweaters for a more subdued look.
[Mimi Chica – Faux Leather Leggings]
NEW YEAR GIVEAWAY!
Have you entered my New Year Giveaway yet? You could win a prize package worth almost $500. Click the image below to enter.
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!
Interested in co-hosting the I Feel Pretty Link up? E-mail me HERE for more information!
There are just a few simple rules:
1. Follow GYPO. (Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin‘)
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 What I Wore to Work, Monday Mingle, Shanna, Style Sessions, Trend Spin Fashion Friday, Fashion Informant, What I’m Loving Fridays, Friday’s Fab Favorites and The Pleated Poppy.
On Aubrey:
[Sweater: c/o Persunmall/Leggings: c/o Persunmall/Boots: UGG/Tank: Forever 21/Bracelet: c/o Ettika]
[Sweater: c/o Persunmall/Jeans: Loft (on clearance!)/Scarf: Similar/Tank: Mossimo/Boots: Similar/Bracelet: c/o Ettika]
Yes, I’m still crazy about my blush jeans I bought last fall. I’ve worn them all winter and will continue to through the spring. If you are still considering a pair, they’re 60% off on final sale.
Yes, she hated every second of this! 🙂
