Jan 7, 2013
Hello and welcome to day one of Resolution Week at Get Your Pretty On!
By now you all know that I started this blog as a way to get myself out of my yoga pants on a daily basis (if you’re new, you can get caught up on that HERE.) Well today I’m going against all that I stand for because…
It’s Yoga Pants Day!
Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against yoga pants in and of themselves. I was just abusing their use and not wearing them for what they were intended for.
My yoga pants were my work from home mom uniform. And a crutch for not getting ready on a daily basis.
I was definitely NOT June Cleaver…
And while I don’t flit around the house in pearls and a dress, I do at least clean up, get dressed and *try* to look put together now. My yoga pants get worn to yoga and for working out.
One of my 2013 resolutions is to re-commit to healthier living. This is something I generally do pretty well but have slacked on for the past six months or so. At first, I got away with it just fine. Then I started to slowly gain weight and feel sluggish. Now I’m up six pounds since October and lack energy. No bueno.
If I’m being honest, I work out for the following reasons (in this order):
1. So I can eat more.
2. So I feel good and have energy.
3. So my jeans fit.
Yes, I love food. And I eat a lot of it. I can keep up with my husband and teenaged son at most meals.
I try to eat mostly healthy but I do enjoy chocolate (daily) and cheese and an occasional glass of wine. Working out allows me to have my indulgences.
Which brings me to this year’s goal. I want to commit to working out at least four times a week doing a combo of cardio intervals, weights and yoga. This is the magic formula to kick start my metabolism like nothing else.
Alison’s “Get Your Work Out On” Plan
(choose four per week)
1. Jillian Michaels “Ripped in 30” DVD
2. Run/Walk Intervals on the treadmill (2 miles)
3. Jillian Michaels “Kickbox Fast Fix” DVD
4. Yoga Class (Heated Vinyasa Flow)
5. Jillian Michaels “Killer Buns and Thighs” DVD
6. At home weights workout (from Fitness Magazine)
Yes, I’m kind of a Jillian fan. You either love her or hate her. If you hate her, just turn down the volume and follow along because her workouts will kick your butt. They’re fast (20-25 minutes), challenging and effective. I swear by her DVD’s when I need to get into shape for a beach vacation or special event.
One of my big motivators for working out (other than the three I listed above) is wearing something cute during it. There’s nothing like a new colorful sports tank or some cross trainers to light my motivation fire.
Here’s my typical workout uniform.
And here are the ingredients.
[Compression Capri – Nike]
I work out in capris almost year-round. They’re perfect for yoga, running and just about everything else. The print on this pair makes them more fun than basic black.
[Tank with Built-in Bra – Nike]
Sometimes I layer a sports bra under a regular tank but usually I prefer one of these two-for-one combos.
[Cross Trainer – Nike]
Colorful cross trainers instantly put me in a good mood! This pair is super comfy, I have them in two bright colors.
[Half Zip Hoodie – Nike]
This half zip hoodie adds just the right layer of warmth.
And on a related note…
Ladies, if you practice yoga, then a good mat is a MUST have. My friend Joseph bought me this Manduka mat for my birthday a few years ago and it’s made a big difference in my practice. He’s also a yoga instructor and the owner of Soul Motivation yoga studio so he knows his stuff (that’s a blatant plug, btw. If you live in Dallas you MUST take one of his classes.)
I have this mat along with the tote and the mat towel.
[Manduka eKO Mat]
And one last story before I go…
Last summer my hubby was in Burlington, VT for a business trip. While working out there, he was approached by one of the locals at the gym.
Local: “You’re not from around here, are you?”
Hubby: “No, I’m from Dallas. Why do you ask?”
Local (laughing): “Oh, OK, that makes sense. Only someone from Dallas would wear matching workout clothes.”
Hubby wasn’t sure how to respond to that.
I say there’s nothing wrong with looking good while working out! Then again, I bought him that matching outfit. 🙂
It’s Your Turn: What are your workout resolutions? Do you wear matching work out clothes or tend to mix it up? Tell me in the comments.
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Jan 4, 2013
Welcome to the sixth and final week of Build Your Outfit Basics. BYOB is a series built around my Five Wardrobe Basics for Real Moms. Each week I’ve featured one of my favorite essentials along with some affordable options to help you build or add onto your own wardrobe.
In week one, I featured dark wash skinny jeans. Week two was all about fabulous, cute and comfy flats, week three featured one of my favorites, scarves and in week four I confessed to my total obsession with cardigans. Week Five‘s outfit builders, tees and tanks build the foundation for everything else.
And this week, it’s all about fun, fun, fun!
This outfit builder wasn’t even included in the original Five Wardrobe Essentials post. But I have to pay homage to it, because it truly is an outfit maker.
STATEMENT JEWELRY!
I have to admit that I used to be scared of statement jewelry. My accessories have always been pretty simple – wedding rings, small earrings and possibly a tiny necklace. Then last summer, that all changed. Before our annual beach vacation, I decided to add some new chunky jewelry into the mix…and I was hooked.
I was amazed at how the right necklace could transform my boring white tees and tanks into something really special. Then I branched out into earrings, cuffs, stacked bangles and most recently cocktail rings. Now I have a whole slew of statement jewelry and love how it inexpensively adds a wow factor to just about anything.
Let’s take a look at some of my favorites.
Necklaces
[ Turquoise Bubble Necklace Set]
I’d be remiss if I didn’t include every blogger’s favorite – the bubble necklace. This hit the scene big time this year after J. Crew debuted it and everyone and their brother knocked it off. Here is one of my favorite knock-offs which includes the earrings too for just $29.99.
[Sparkle Collar Necklace]
Bibs and collar necklaces have also made a big splash and add just the right amount of sophistication to any simple style.
[Peacock Beaded Necklace]
One of my beaded faves. Gorgeous colors, perfect for a crisp white tee or button down. This just makes me want to go on a tropical vacation!
Bracelets and Cuffs
[Chunky Abstract Bracelet]
Oh my goodness. Get on my wrist. This stunner adds a whole lot of style for not a whole lotta loot.
[Fallen Branches Indie Cuff]
Exquisite detailing ensures that this will be the most complimented piece of jewelry you own.
[Lime Enamel Bangle]
Enamel bangles in bright fun hues add a pop of color to everything.
Cocktail Rings
[Enamel Dome Cocktail Ring]
This stunner was featured in Oprah Magazine. At a reasonable price, even we regular girls can afford to flaunt jewels like the fabulous O.
[Geode Gold Rope Ring]
Earthy, natural and simply perfect.
[Orange Neon Ring]
I snagged this pretty at Target last week on clearance. It’s been on my finger as much as possible ever since.
Earrings
[Peach Tear Drop Earrings]
I have a pair of these in green and love them so very much.
[Beaded Branch Earrings]
The nature theme is another trend I’m totally on board with. These beaded beauties capture it exquisitely.
[Chandelier Earrings]
You can’t go wrong with chandelier earrings. The art deco style of this faceted pair works with just about everything.
It’s Your Turn: What’s your favorite way to make a statement with jewelry? Tell me in the comments.
PAYDAY PRETTY CHALLENGE
Over the past six weeks many of you have been participating in the Payday Pretty Challenge by taking $20 out of the weekly budget to do something pretty for yourselves. I hope that you will commit to continuing this challenge throughout the new year and showing me what you get.
This week’s final challenge winner of a $20 Target gift card is…
Sheaffer S.
Congrats Sheaffer!
Your gift card is in the mail. I hope that you’ll do something pretty for yourself with it.
Stay pretty,
Alison
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Jan 3, 2013
Meet Sarah of Sarah Hulbert Style! She’s my guest stylist today and an interior decorator and wardrobe consultant with an eye for color like none other.
And I just knew she would know exactly what to do with my wardrobe problem child…my striped maxi skirt.
I love this skirt and wore it a lot last summer, usually paired up like this.
When cooler temps arrived, I wasn’t sure what to do with it. So it’s been hanging in my closet ever since. Time to call in the expert!
Dear Sarah – I have this striped maxi skirt that I have NO idea how to style for winter. Can you please help me? Eternally grateful – Alison
And here’s what she came up with.
SIMILAR LOOKS
Wow, where do I start? I absolutely LOVE the fun pops of color in the jacket, bangles, necklace and clutch. The denim shirt is genius (and just so happens to be one of my favorite wardrobe pieces). And the scarf is perfect, every outfit needs a little leopard print. I love the cognac boots, they winterize this look to a tee.
Thank you SO much Sarah! I can’t wait to put together my own look using your brilliant outfit inspiration.
Jan 2, 2013
Happy New Year, pretties!
I could have done a resolutions post today but I thought nah, there’s always next week, right? (No, I don’t have a procrastinating problem!)
But I will share with you three of my 2013 resolutions (or goals, as I like to call them).
1. Be more present with my family, make quality time count.
2. Commit to better self-care (yoga, massage, eating healthy).
3. Get rid of all clutter in my house, clean out every closet and drawer.
Next week’s theme will be Get Your New You On featuring posts including Get Your Workout On and Get Your Goal Setting On with a VERY special guest poster that will help you achieve all of your 2013 goals. I can’t wait!
But for today I promised you an outfit post from my casual NYE party and that’s just what you’ll get.
On Monday, I showed you this set that I created using items in my closet.
But before I show you what I ended up wearing, let me tell you a little story about my new leggings. My niece, Lauren, keeps me in the loop on fashion trends in the 20-something crowd. This is Lauren, she’s always super cute and fashionable.
When she told me about Spanx leggings last week, I knew I had to have a pair. What? Spanx makes leggings??? That was my reaction too. Followed closely by “I NEED some”. But I wasn’t sure I wanted to drop $62 on a pair of leggings.
Spanx Leggings – $62
So I did a quick search online at Target to see what they had and found these.
Suddenly Skinny Leggings – $17.99
About five minutes later, I ran down to my local Target store and they had one pair left! Now they’re mine, ALL MINE. I can’t tell you how they compare to the Spanx pair, I haven’t been able to try them out. But I can tell you that they do a mighty fine job of smoothing out bulges and making my holiday weight gain a little less noticeable. They also seem sturdier and more substantial than my other leggings. At a savings of $44 over the Spanx pair, I’m a pretty happy girl.
Here’s the outfit that I wore for our casual New Year’s Eve, featuring my new favorite leggings. Originally I planned to wear my fur vest but it just didn’t fit right over my sweater. So I substituted my new orange scarf that I got for Christmas. Cozy!
[Leggings: Target/Sweater: Forever 21 (similar)/Tank: Forever 21/Necklace: Forever 21/Scarf: Gift (similar)/Earrings: Rue 21 (Similar)/Boots: Frye/Ring: Target/Bracelets: Rue 21]
It’s Your Turn: Do you make resolutions? If so, what are your top goals for the new year? Tell me in the comments!
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Dec 31, 2012
Yep, it’s New Year’s Eve morning and nope I’m still not sure what I’m wearing tonight.
I have an excuse. Sort of.
We aren’t going anywhere fancy. Just to a kid-friendly party at my sister Heather’s house (sorry Heather, no offense).
I want to be comfy, that’s fo sho. Which means flat shoes, stretchy pants and a cozy sweater. Nothing says NYE like THAT combo, right? No, not really. I do want it to feel a little more special than the frocks I normally gallivant about in. Gallivant, I like that word.
So I took to Pinterest this weekend for some inspiration. I know one thing, I WILL be wearing my new Spanx knock-off leggings, which you will soon hear a lot about (forget weight loss resolutions, I have these bad boys to suck in the holiday gain!) I also want to wear my new boots HERE that I got for Christmas, like every day. So this much is decided, it’s going to be a black and brown NYE.
I found this black and brown look for inspiration…
[VIA]
And this is the look I *hope* to create using items I already have in my closet.
Similar Items
Check back on Wednesday to see my interpretation and more photos from our casual New Year’s Eve.
It’s Your Turn: Are you staying in or going out tonight? What are you going to wear? Do tell!
Thank You!
I just want to thank all of you wonderful readers because today was a very special day. Get Your Pretty on was started a little over three months ago, and this morning, I hit 50,000 page views! I’m so grateful for all of you.
Ad Special
Is one of your resolutions to build your blog or business in 2013? Well, I’d love to help with that! Now’s a great time to advertise with me. In January, I’m offering an introductory rate special – buy two months, get one free. Click HERE for more details!
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