OOTD: Navy and Raspberry - plus an Anthro shoe review

Poncho-cardigan:  Merona for Target, sz. small

Sweater dress:  Brooks Brothers, sz. small

Belt:  Merona for Target, sz. small/medium

Tights:  Merona for Target, sz. small/medium

Shoes:  Miss Albright Lake & Land Heels, Anthropologie, sz. 7.5

This OOTD was from Wednesday and was inspired by Anthropologie's Lake & Land Heels by Miss Albright.  I ordered these shoes last week after I decided I needed a non-black pair of oxford-like heels.  After reading the reviews and seeing the sale price - $79.95 - I decided that my closet was sorely missing this pair of shoes.  Here are the shoes on their own:

After wearing these shoes all day, I can reaffirm the positive reviews on the website.  I'm on my feet pretty much all day, and these shoes kept me comfortable.  Some reviews on the website said to size down, but I ordered my regular size 7.5, and they fit just fine.  The adjustable ankle strap allowed for a tighter fit. 

I love the blue suede and light brown leather, and the tassels are the perfect touch.  I got compliments all day.  My only two complaints are that one set of tassels came untied several times throughout the day and the one strap dug into my ankle a bit when I walked.  After wearing the shoe all day, however, both problems seemed to be somewhat alleviated.  I think once I wear the shoes in, they'll be fine.  This shoe is still available on Anthro's website in sizes 7.5 - 11. 

Channeling Cruella

My school is observing Red Ribbon Week this week for drug/alcohol prevention and awareness.  Our Red Ribbon Week is similar to spirit week because we have theme days in which staff and students are encouraged to dress a certain way.  Monday was "Wear Red" day. 

Would you believe I only own one article of red clothing?  Inevitably, when I wear it, someone makes a Cruella de Vil reference.  Every. Single. Time.  However, while looking for a picture for this post, I was hard-pressed to find anything that even remotely resembled the offending red cardigan.  This was the closest match I could find:

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Now, here's my Cruella-esque OOTD:

I guess I can see how the polka dots give off the dalmatian vibe.



Cardigan:  BCBG, size sm.

Dress:  Vintage 1950s-era, size unknown

Tights:  Merona for Target

Shoes:  Nine West Riane (on sale for $62.30!), size 7.5

A quick word about the shoes - if you're looking for a comfy, high-heeled oxford, I can't recommend the Riane enough.  I've had this pair of shoes for less than two weeks, and I've already worn them five or six times.  They're a great basic for the fall/winter months.

Now, if you'll all excuse me, I'm off to don some long black gloves, smoke from a cigarette holder, and scare a hundred or so puppies. 

Move over, Rachel Zoe

That's right.  Another Bravo show *may* have just replaced "Rachel Zoe" as my favorite television guilty pleasure.  While I will always remain faithful to camp Zoe (especially with the additions of adorable little Skyler and adorable big Jeremiah), her lifestyle is so unattainable that I can only froth at the mouth with envy.  However, when Bravo began advertising their new show during Rachel Zoe's show, I actually stopped fast-forwarding the DVR to watch the previews.  This new show looked like it would be right up my alley.

Now, when I watch Bravo's new show, "Fashion Hunters," I dream that someday I could actually work in the fashion industry, even if it's just at high-end consignment store Second Time Around, which is featured on the show. 

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The cast of "Fashion Hunters"

The show documents the experiences of three women and one man working in one of New York City's branches of the high-end chain consignment store.  The women come from various backgrounds (one's the manager, one just works because she wants out of the house, and one tells the viewers that she "lives on peanuts" to save up for a pair of Manolos in the first episode.), but the all share an obvious passion for designer duds. 

The season is three episodes in, and I am hooked.  I love watching the cast debate with consignors over a garment's worth.  I've also always been a big fan of vintage designer clothing, so "Fashion Hunters" gives me the rush of vintage shopping without leaving my couch or spending my cash.  My only complaint about this show is that I wish it lasted an hour instead of just thirty minutes.  Maybe next season.

"Fashion Hunters" airs tonight on Bravo at 10:30. 

Have you watched "Fashion Hunters"?  What do you think? 

Professional Purple

Part of my week of craziness last week involved my school's Open House, where parents come in and do a walk-through of their child's schedule.  Our open house has a bell schedule, so parents spend about 10 minutes in each class.  I always try to look professional, yet approachable at Open House, because it's really important to me that parents know they can call/email/talk to me about anything they or their son/daughter may need.  This is what I wore:

Blouse:  Missoni for Target, sz. XS

Skirt: J.Crew No. 2 Pencil Skirt in double-serge wool in jazzy purple, sz. 4

Belt: Merona for Target, sz. S

Shoes:  Cole Haan Nike Air Peep-toe Pumps, sz. 7.5

First of all, I don't know what it is with me pairing that skirt with that belt.  I can't stop wearing them together, even against my better judgment.  I know I should've worn a black belt, if any belt at all, with that outfit, but I just. can't. help. myself.  I feel like that blouse would probably work well with a black pencil skirt, and THEN maybe I could throw on the belt.

I ended up going to the chiropractor about an hour before Open House, and he really did a number on my hip.  I had been having problems with it popping wayyyy out for a few weeks, and he's been working to get it back to normal.  Of course, the night of Open House was the night that it FINALLY moved back to where it's supposed to be.  That meant that I was supposed to stay off of my feet the rest of the night and most of the next day.  I laughed when he told me that.  He did say that heels would hurt, but they wouldn't hinder my recovery, so of course, I wore them.  Stupid girl, lol.

I did spend most of the night sitting in front of the "classes" of parents, instead of standing, so I considered that a fair compromise. :)

Modcloth Love

Before I begin waxing poetic about my favorite local label, I want to apologize for being such an absent blogger and commenter this past week.  It's been a week of craziness both at school and at home, so hopefully things will calm down soon. 

Now, onto the love.  I am not kidding you at all when I say that Susan Kroger, Pittsburgh native and founder of Modcloth, beat me to living out my own dream.  In high school, she spent her free time scouring thrift and vintage shops for unique finds.  By the time she went to college, Susan had amassed such a collection of cool clothes that she and her then-boyfriend (now-husband!) started selling them online.  Their business boomed and blossomed into what is now the popular online-only retailer, Modcloth. 

Yep.  That was what I wanted to do from the time I was about 13.  Susan just had a few years on me, that's all.  :)  Seriously, though, I am obsessed with Modcloth not only because Susan's success story is so awesome, but also because it's right in my own backyard.  Since Modcloth ships mainly from their Pittsburgh headquarters, I can order something online and get it within a day or two.  Instant online shopping gratification!  Last week, I wore a couple of outfits centered on Modcloth pieces.

Cardigan: Guess, sz. S

Dress: Bernie Dexter, Modcloth, sz. XS

Silver Unicorn Necklace: a gift from my mom

Shoes: Target, sz. 7.5

Modcloth not only sells vintage pieces, but they also sell lesser-known indie labels.  Bernie Dexter is a designer who is known for her flattering construction and her 1950s-inspired rockabilly designs.  So you can fully appreciate the yummy cut and pattern of the dress, here's a stock photo:

 

Sigh.  So pretty. 

Last weekend, we had a glorious warm-up in the weather, and I was inspired to take a break from grading essays to go register at Crate and Barrel with the fiance.  I put together an outfit with a J.Crew Tippi sweater and a couple of pieces from Modcloth:

Say hi to my furbabies, Sassy and Puff, in the background.

Sweater: J.Crew Tippi sweater in bold peri, sz. S

Skirt: Puddle Pleasures Skirt, Modcloth, sz. S

Necklace: Vintage

Shoes: Chasing Down Dreams flat, 80%20, Modcloth, sz. 7.5

That skirt is still available, and at only $34.99, I can't recommend it enough.  The skirt's only downfall is that it's linen, so it will need ironed quite a bit (if you can't tell from my picture).  Here's a look at the skirt in all of its ironed-out glory:

And just look how stinkin' cute these shoes are up close:

If you haven't already checked out Modcloth, go go go.  It's a great site with a cool story behind its beginning.  And PS...the sales are always awesome :)



Blogger is currently submerged...

...in a dishearteningly deep pile of poorly-written, uninspiring student essays.  Regular blogging will resume once aforementioned blogger's pink pen runs out of ink. 

Until then, here are some pretties from the Kate Spade's Spring 2012 collection, unveiled last night:


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DIY Newsprint Nails Tutorial

Last week, I was perusing one of my fashion apps when I saw the coolest nail art.  Called newsprint nails, this easy DIY design combines two of my favorite things: words and uniquely painted nails. 

The completed look

After YouTubing several tutorials, I came up with my own, slightly modified method of creating newsprint nails.

What You'll Need

Gather up some newspaper, rubbing alcohol, a small bowl, a light nail polish color, and a clear topcoat polish.  Here are the two polishes I used:

Several tutorials recommend using a bone, ivory, or white polish, but I'm partial to a blush pink.

Step 1:

Cut your newspaper into small squares, just big enough to cover your fingernail:

You'll want to get a text-rich portion of the paper to allow for maximum word-age on your nails. 

Step 2:

Paint your fingernails in the light color of your choice.  For best results, use two coats.

Step 3:

Wait for about half an hour to make sure your nails are completely dry.  I watched the first half of Glee while I waited for mine to dry.  

Step 4:

Pour the rubbing alcohol into your bowl so that it is about an inch deep.  

Step 5:

Soak one nail in the rubbing alcohol for about 10 seconds.  While you're soaking, put one newspaper strip into the rubbing alcohol and allow it to soak for about 10 seconds as well.

Step 6:

Remove your nail and the strip from the alcohol.  Place the strip, text down, over your nail.  Hold the strip on your nail for about 1 minute.  That part is important.  You need to hold it steadily on your nail, and use either your palm or your fingers.  The steady hand assures that your text won't blur, and the heat from your hand will transfer the ink onto your fingernail.

Step 7:

Peel the newspaper square off of your nail.  The text should have transferred.

Step 8:

Repeat steps 5, 6, and 7 for each nail.  Try not to get the nails that you've already done wet, but if they do get alcohol on them once or twice, it shouldn't be a big deal.  This process should take 10-15 minutes

Step 9:

Wait for the rubbing alcohol to dry (about a minute or two), and apply a topcoat.

Voila!  You're done!

I tested out the method on my two big toes first so that I got a good feel for what I was doing:

The newsprint nail was a little time-consuming (the whole process took about 45-50 minutes), but the manicure lasted about a week with very little chipping.  The chipping that did happen wasn't as noticeable because the polish isn't the focus; the words are. 

I'd love to try the comics section of the paper next, so if any of you beat me to it, you'll have to let me know how it works out!

For now, go try this method and enjoy your nerdy nails!

I've been published!

Well, sort of.  Earlier this week, I received an email from our awesome wedding photographer friend Leeann from Leeann Marie Photography letting us know that our engagement pictures have been featured on the Delighfully Engaged blog!  Pretty excited about that.  You can see the post here. 

Since I'm talking about our engagement pictures, I figured I'd take a couple of minutes to finally show you all what I wore and explain my choices.  All of the following images are taken from either the Delighfully Simple blog or from Leeann's blog, and all were taken by Leeann of Leeann Marie Photography.

Outfit 1:

Dress:  Mompos Dress from Anthropologie, size 2

Shoes:  Red leather heels from some random store in Italy

Bracelet:  Target

Earrings:  A gift from a friend (part of our bridesmaid jewelry set from her wedding)

This was my first outfit choice, and it was slightly Alice-in-Wonderland/Dorothy-inspired.  I knew that no matter what else I wore, I would wear the Mompos dress.  The dress has a slight print, but it isn't too busy, so the focus remains on us instead of the print.  Plus, it comes with a built-in crinoline.  What says "I'm having a glamorous reading by the lake on a blanket" more than a crinoline? 

I paired the Mompos dress with red shoes because I love seeing a pop of unexpected color in photos, and I know that Leeann has a shoe fetish that rivals my own.  Plus, I wanted our pictures to be whimsical and storybook-ish, and you really can't get more fantastical than a pair of red patent-leather peep toes in the middle of a field.   For about half a second, I contemplated replacing the built-in belt with a red patent-leather belt, but I realized I wanted the shoes to stand out on their own, so I kept the belt as-is.

For this outfit, I kept the accessories classic and minimal.  Again, for engagement pictures, the focus should be on the couple, not on the clothes and accessories.  I kept the future Mr. AllDressedUp in a neutral complementing outfit.  He's wearing a Brooks Brothers shirt and tie combo that features understated light pink and sky blue.

Outfit #2:

Shirt:  Gathering Tank from Anthropologie, size small

Bracelet:  "I Read Banned Books" bracelet from Kards Unlimited

Jeans:  Joe's Jeans from Anthropologie, size 28

Shoes:  Cole Haan Air Nike Peep toe pumps, size 7.5

Again for this outfit, I wanted to keep the concept relatively simple.  The gathers of the gathering tank brings the eye right to the face, and I figured the green color would blend with the surroundings to bring out our faces even more. 

While I don't recommend trying to camoflauge yourself when dressing for photographs, but I do recommend wearing colors that complement your skin, hair, and eyes.  I felt like this shirt did all three relatively well.  Plus, green is one of our wedding colors, so I wanted to give a slight nod to that in the engagement pictures.  I wore the bracelet because it has several shades of green in it, but also because it matches the literary theme of our photos and of our wedding.  The shoes jeans and shoes acted as comfortable neutrals.  I put the fiance in a Banana Republic blue and green striped white button-down  and jeans so that we weren't exactly matching, but our outfits again complemented each other.

Outfit #3:

Dress:  Vintage 1950s polka dot dress

Shoes:  Same red heels as above

Necklace:  Pearl necklace (stolen/inherited from my mom)

Earrings:  Silver hoops (a gift)

Again, simplicity is key.  I brought this dress along, not sure of whether or not I'd need it.  Leeann spotted it and gave me the go-ahead to bring it.  That's why she's awesome.  She understands that sometimes you just need another dress.  :)  Anyway, I kept my accessories simple once more with a pearl necklace and small silver hoop earrings.  The fiance remained in his outfit from before.  He's not as high-maitenance as I am, apparently.  ;)

I noticed while writing this post that I only wore 1-2 accessories per outfit.  That's probably a good rule of thumb to stick to when you know you're going to be photographed.  Now, if only this post had been published before Nicki Minaj went to the 2011 VMAs at the end of August:

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Oh well.  Maybe she'll take note for next year.  ;)

Macy's Sip 'n Scan: OOTD

My fiance and I went to our first wedding registry event last week at what Macy's likes to call a "Sip 'n Scan."  Macy's brings in a local catering company, a DJ, a makeup artist, a cookware specialist, and anyone else they can dig up to represent the services needed at a wedding.  Not a bad idea, really.  We got to eat yummy food, sip some punch, listen to fun music, and play Charlie's Angels with the registry gun.

Initially, I was really excited, but when we had been pointing and shooting for about 25 minutes, I had a slight emotional breakdown.  The idea of asking people for anything always really bothers me.  Everyone in our lives is extremely kind, but it was still unnerving to register for a $399 KitchenAid Mixer and a $600 Dyson vacuum (both of which I fully plan on buying myself after the wedding using the post-wedding registry discount).  We registered for lots of much less expensive items, too, but I just felt really uneasy about it all.  It didn't help that we're registering for most of our bigger items through Macy's, and then using Crate and Barrel and Target for our smaller, less expensive items.  Perhaps we should have started there instead to avoid my mini-psychosis.

I eventually recovered, we registered for a few more items, and we headed home with food in our bellies and smiles on our faces.  Here's what I wore:

Blouse:  J.Crew Blythe blouse, size 2

Scarf:  Simply Vera by Vera Wang, a gift from my future mother-in-law

Jeans:  Joe's Jeans, Anthropologie, size 28

Bag:  Prada

Shoes:  Cole Haan Air Lyric heels, size 7.5

I have a feeling this is going to be one of my favorite outfits for the transition to fall (although the weather the past few days here in western PA have made it pretty clear that there is no longer a transition happening...fall, along with its cold temperatures, wind, and rain, has arrived.).  I love the look of a blouse tucked into flared jeans with a fun accessory and heels.  I've worn variations of this look several times over the past few weeks as the weather has become cooler, and it's just effortless and polished. 

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

Dress Like an Egyptian: A Consignment Score

Hi, all!  I hope you've had a restful weekend!  I thought today I'd show you guys an awesome designer score I found last weekend while shopping with a good friend.  When we were fueling up for our shopping excursion at lunch, my friend and I talked about how shopping creates a type of high.  For some people, the high is just about instant gratification: scoring an item as soon as it comes out.  For others, the high is a culmination of what I like to call "the dig," "the find," and "the score."  I love going to consignment or vintage stores (mainly vintage stores...I love clothes with a rich history), digging through every item they have, finding something alluring, and scoring it at a great price.  This post is about one such item.

After reading about Topshop Unique's Egyptian-inspired Spring 2012 line here on the Fashionista blog a couple of weeks ago, I was super excited to pick up the Nanette Lepore Hieroglyhpics Dress at a local high-end consignment store. 

Trying on the dress with some Charlotte Russe heels the day I brought it home

The dress was a size 0, but I tried it on anyway, because I just couldn't pass up its amazing print and gorgeous saturated hues.  And honestly?  Who doesn't want to be a size 0?  I squeeeeezed into it, and I am so glad that, for just a second, I let myself think I could possibly forcibly shove my size 4 self into a dress two sizes two small.  By some fluke or graciousness of the fashion gods, it fit!  Here's a closeup of the print that begged for my attention on the rack:

The colors of the dress are saturated enough that I can wear it in the fall, but are bright enough that I think I can wear it during spring and into summer, too.  I believe this dress originally retailed for around $350, and I scored it for a little less than $75 in perfect condition. 

For my birthday, the fiance got us tickets to go see Wicked, which I had never seen, so I figured I could wear this dress.  It was cold and rainy, so I added tights, a cardigan, and boots.

Cardigan: NY & Co.

Dress: Nanette Lepore

Tights: Merona for Target

Purse: Vintage

Boots: Aldo

At first struggled with how to style the dress; it has so many gorgeous colors to pull from for accessories, and like a kid in a candy store, I wanted to use them ALL.  In the end, I decided to keep everything but the bag neutral and let the great print speak - rather loudly - for itself. 

The dig, the find, and the score certainly paid off in this instance.  Are you a digger, or do you like instant shopping gratification?

A Spirit Week Guilty Pleasure

During Spirit Week, there is one day that I celebrate with more zeal than most of the students.  I secretly can't wait for its arrival, and each year, I carefully plan my outfit days -sometimes weeks - beforehand.  That day, my friends, is 80s Day. 

Jacket: a.n.a. JCPenney

Tshirt: Something I bought in 7th grade

Skirt: l.e.i. from 10th grade

Black tights: Merona for Target

Red leggings: Claire's

Leg warmers: Claire's

Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars

Believe it or not, I didn't have to go out and buy anything for this outfit.  I bought the jacket on super sale last year, and I've had the Rainbow Brite shirt and jeans skirt since I was a teenager.  I bought the red leggings as part of a Courtney Love Halloween costume several years ago, and the legwarmers were part of an outfit I wore to a Lady Gaga concert last year. 

I'm not sure if I'm proud or ashamed of the fact that I can pull off 80s Day with items I already own.

I didn't even have to do anything spectacular with my hair or go out and buy new makeup.  I literally just ran a brush through my locks (They're that big of a frizzball.), and I used a Sephora makeup palette.

The only negative aspect of 80s Day?

That hot pink lipstick showed up on everything that came within 3 feet of my lips.