5 Things

photo via Tumblr



Happy Friday, gals! Looks like our beloved Friday has arrived...let us rejoice.

Winter weather has definitely swept Arkansas this week, (in addition to the rest of the U.S., it seems) but that doesn't mean style has to hibernate during the coming months. In fact, some of the edgiest trends take hold during this season of the year, making it the perfect time to experiment with looks you've seen in your fav magazines and fashion blogs ; )

My top 5 that I'm currently obsessed with:

Tights

From rips and tears, to hardcore lace and hearts, tights come in darn near every color and style imaginable right now. I just bought a pair of bright teal beauties from Forever 21 and cannot wait to wear 'em.

photos via Tumblr

Bows

Teetering on the verge of kitschy? Of course. And that's the beauty of it. I love the girliness of the bow trend. Why take fashion so seriously, after all?

via The Girl and the Gorilla

Winter shorts

I can't get enough of this look lately. Who says summer is the only time to show some leg?

via J.Crew

Velvet dresses

Luxe, sexy and warm. Enough said.

photos via Fashion Toast and Style.com

Clever hair accessories

Like the one below from New Zealand Fashion Week via Fashion Toast...I'm not sure you could get away with this at the office, but regardless, it's hot. Or haute.

via Fashion Toast

Have a great weekend.

Be blessed, lovelies-

iPhone Picture Purge

Oh, Thursday….the day of heightened anticipation for the weekend…Friday Eve…how doth I love thee.

Today’s post will ensure you receive your recommended daily allowance of randomness, for sure. I mean, I feel like I haven’t gotten to do a post where I just talk to y’all in a long time; no fashion stuff, no decor baloney or holiday survival tips...just plain talk.

So here goes:

• Mine and S’s weekend in Chicago wasn’t all blizzards and traffic jams…we actually had a big ole time in the Windy City prior to Sunday’s Ice Road Truckers re-enactment. We went to the lounge at the top of the Hancock Tower on Friday night and luckily got a table right by the window. This was our view as we sipped wine:

• Oh yes, and I decorated le Christmas tree. Behold:

• I thought this was pretty stinking cute. This is Max on Thanksgiving morning, which I randomly found on my iPhone last night. He was O-V-E-R it by 10:00 a.m.

...and later that day, we found him like this again. My little man loves to sleep...it's his fav hobby : )

• A few more of you have emailed me about the bag in this photo from last month, my faux Miu Miu...I actually got it 2 years ago (yes, I carry purses FOREVER) as a Christmas gift from a website called Shop Suey Boutique. Although this one isn't on there anymore, they have TONS of other cute faux designer bags for great prices, including other Miu Miu-inspired bags. (And know, this wasn't clever advertisement placement..I really do love the site and they didn't pay me to say that : )

Good excuse to put up pics of my cutie, no? : )

• Rihanna’s new CD is smashtastic. Seriously good stuff. If you don’t feel like shelling out the $9.99 for the whole album (which I would suggest doing, since two awesome bonus songs are included if you get the entire thing), at least purchase Raining Men feat. Nicki Minaj, S&M, Love the Way You Lie- Pt. II, Fading and Man Down. Actually, just buy the whole shabang.

On a serious note, a good friend of mine from high school was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She is only 26 and underwent another surgery yesterday. She begins chemotherapy soon and will likely lose her hair, (she already cut it very short in preparation, but seriously, it looks really cute!). Could you guys please say an extra prayer for her tonight?

Ok, that’s all I’ve got until tomorrow. Be happy, be healthy and most of all…

Be blessed, lovelies-

Trend Watch Wednesday: {Top Tier}

photo via OnSugar

Hey y'all! Thanks for stopping by for some mid-week trend watching...this blonde appreciates it ; )

Thank you again for all of your kind words and comments regarding yesterday's post and the craziness that S and I encountered on Sunday. God is good and we feel very blessed to be safely back in Arkansas!

Last week, one of my favorite actresses, Michelle Williams stepped out in a gorgeous Azzaro number for the premiere of her new flick Blue Valentine. Along with co-star Ryan Gosling, Williams positively shined on the red carpet in front of a slew of paparazzi. Just seeing these shots made me want to bust out my tiered skirts and dresses for winter…


photo via


How dreamy and craveworthy is her ensemble? Not to mention, the volume and length of the dress totally compliment her petite frame. So flippin' gorge, I mean, really….

Ready to tier up? Some pointers, my dears:

• You can create a look just like Michelle’s with a tiered skirt/tank/belt combo. The key is to balance the volume of the skirt out with a form fitting top.

• If your tiers are in the form of a dress, you’ll want to avoid getting lost in the fabric by making sure that your frock has a defined waist, created with either a belt or ruffles that start below the waistline, (again, note Williams' pic above.)

• This look becomes even more chic when paired with clunky-as-a-brick heels and black tights for cold nights out.

• If you’re curvy, avoid straight rows of ruffles which tend to add a lot of extra bulk. Instead, opt for tiered dresses and skirts that are asymmetrical and slant downward at an angle. This will give you an instantly longer and leaner appearance.

(Clockwise, from left to right) Chiffon Curve Skirt by Rare Opulence; Crinkle Satin Layered Tier Skirt from Topshop; Sara Lanzi Tiered Accordion Skirt; L’Agence Tiered Skirt from Barneys NY

Tomorrow...get ready for pics, randomness and lots of useless information to get you through your Thursday : ) Cheers, beauties!

Be blessed, lovelies-

Let It Snow

Two things: 1) We are back and, most importantly, alive; 2) I have a new found appreciation for Southern weather, I don't know how you Northerners do it.

So needless to say, I am a teensy bit behind on blogging. S and I were some of the thousands of victims of the blizzard that swept through Illinois and Missouri on Sunday morning.

The trip to Chicago was amazing, but things got crazy REAL FAST on Sunday when we left the city to head back home.

About 2 hours after we'd been on the road, traffic came to a standstill because of this.

We were literally right behind the 20 car accident and probably would have been in it, had we not stopped to get gas about 5 minutes prior. It honestly gives me chills to think about it now...needless to say, we have been counting our blessings endlessly since Sunday. Thank you God for protecting us!

There were many cars on fire, overturned semi trucks and large portions of the road that were literally charred due to the blazes.

We sat parked on I-55 for about 3+ hours and really started to wonder if we would make it home! Thankfully, we did : )

We did end up staying the night with S's brother and sister-in-law that live in St. Louis for the night. There was just lots of black ice on the roads and we were exhausted after being in the car for 12 hours straight.

We finally got home yesterday and my car looks like it's been put through the ringer...or a ginormous snowstorm....

I'll be back to regularly scheduled programming tomorrow, but wanted to let you guys know that I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. Thank you to those of you who follow me on Facebook and were so kind to pray and send positive thoughts after I posted the pics on Sunday when we were stuck on the interstate. We appreciate it tremendously!

Until tomorrow...

Be blessed, lovelies-

Trend Watch Wednesday: {Well Red}

photo via Refinery 29

Holiday season is in full swing and it’s no doubt that many of us are sifting through our closets and racking our brains for party looks. The LBD will never go out of style, but this year, why not consider something a little bolder?

In the latest issue of Glamour magazine, Michael Kors suggests embracing the Little Red Dress as a sexy alternative to the black staple. It’s fun, it’s fresh and it’s unexpected!

A few things to consider when looking for your perfect LRD:

• Experiment with different shades of red. If you’re fair skinned, try looking for garnet and ruby reds, reds with blue undertones. If you’re of the olive variety, orangey reds are a sure fire winner.

• Go for the gold. Forget silver, gold is the ticket when accessorizing a red dress. Small touches of gold can be very chic with all shades of crimson.

photo via CoolSpotters- Jenny Packham Fall 2010 RTW

• Don’t go all matchy-matchy. Forget pairing your LRD with red shoes, a red clutch or red jewelry. You’ll end up looking less like a style maven and more like Holiday Barbie. Instead, wear a chic pair of nude colored platforms or black leather booties or black stilettos as a wiser footwear choice.

• Don’t over accessorize. Red packs a powerful punch on its own, so there’s no need to clutter up the look with a pile of necklaces. Choose one or two simple pieces of jewelry and let the dress do all the talking.

So how do you guys feel about substituting your LBD with a LRD? Would you be willing to go red this holiday season?

Be blessed, lovelies-