Happy hump day readers! As promised last week, I've found some of this season's most sought after trends at a deliciously affordable price. There's enough leftover in your purse for a Pumpkin Spice latte to really get you in the mood!
Speaking of purses, I am drooling over this mustard yellow bag:
Tory Burch bombe burch tote
Unfortunately, said bag does not fit in with this post's theme, but a girl can dream.
Back to the affordable fall trends!
1. maxi skirts + big sweaters
Hive & Honey cabled cocoon poncho $69
Old Navy pleated maxi skirt $30
2. technicolor blocking
J. Crew Silk Lucina blouse $98
J. Crew No. 2 pencil skirt $120
3. lace
BR Monogram lace sheath dress $198
4. winter white
GUESS double-breasted trench $158
5. floral
H&M floral shorts $25
How about the cute floral corduroy shorts paired with this blazer to transcend in to fall?
forever 21 notched lapel jacket $30
What fashion steals/deals are making their way to your closet this season?
of Pop music, that is. Oh MJ, has it really only been over two years since you left us? I remember exactly where I was when I found out: sitting in a depressing cube at my first full-time job out of college where the walls, carpet, and furniture were all gray and everyone was oppressed by our evil CEO.... I cried at my computer screen a little when I read the news, and unfortunately that didn't go unnoticed. But my co-workers had no idea how many hours I had spent in my high school years watching, memorizing, learning and teaching Michael's moves. Don't EVEN get me started on the Katy Perry debacle. She's great, but let's please not try to compare her work to Michael's.
Anyway (sorry for the rant, holy Monday!) who has played Michael Jackson's The Experience on Wii? Oh my, it is a treat. Not only are the dance moves relatively close to the originals, but it is a work out! My friend brings it over to book club every other month and we all have a blast taking turns dancing and watching each other attempt to keep up with the Michael avatar. By the end of one song, I'm sweaty. By the end of three, I will undoubtedly be sore the next day. Plus I probably burn 500 calories from laughing, especially during the Russian part of Black or White.
So in honor of Michael's birthday, I wanted to share with you all what is, in my humble opinion, the three best MJ videos:
1. Thriller (it's the long one, sit back and enjoy)
2. Dirty Diana
The closest I'll ever get to seeing him in concert...... Plus I freaking love his outfit.
3. Billie Jean
Again with the outfit - how prep!
That was nearly impossible to narrow down, but there you have it! What's your favorite Michael Jackson video?
TGIF party people! Who has fun weekend plans? I'm going to a pre-season NFL game tonight (go CHIEFS) and attending a house warming party tomorrow. Way to go grown-up married friends.
So, in honor of my exciting weekend, I am going to get a mani like this:
alllaqueredup.tumblr.com
I can't wait to get my hands on the new, super sparkly OPI Muppet collection (or the collection on my nails, more like) but I highly doubt my little mani/pedi joint has those yet. So until then, I'm going to go with a nude shade with an overlay of glittery fun!
I couldn't quite decide how to take the news of Steve Jobs' resignation as Apple CEO last night. Mostly I was sad to see the end of his reign. I'd go as far to say that he is the most influential creative visionary in modern Information Technology. Can you imagine where we'd be without the iPod, iPad, and MacBook? Our computers would still be all black and bulky. I guess I'd be listening to music from a Zune? Or maybe even still a Discman.... oh my.
Anyway, as I was thinking about Mr. Jobs today, I realized I should pay some sort of homage to him for his dedication of advancing technology. But I didn't know how to do that. Then I started looking at pictures of him and realized His Apple-ness has quite the uniform. So I've decided to create a "how to" homage.... how to dress like Steve Jobs. Maybe it will unleash some crazy creative juices. Or maybe you'll just have to save it for Casual Friday.....
Three Dots turtleneck
7 For All Mankind Roxanne jeans
zappos.com
Steve Jobs, TIME Magazine
Don't forget to go sans belt! But in all seriousness Mr. Jobs - thank you for all you've done!!!
I haven't found a dress that balances chic modesty and flattering details, with more color options than just LBD, as well as this piece of perfection in a long time ever.
J. Crew origiami sheath dress
Bad news alert: If you want to purchase this little number online in morning fog (shown) or dark charcoal, most sizes are back-ordered until DECEMBER. Time to practice some patience.... or go J. Crew store hopping. I'm going to do the latter even though that means paying retail - Totally worth it.
It's about that time to celebrate the best fashion season of them all, FALL! I'm over the heat of the summer and for anyone in Kansas City, this recent cooler weather and rain has really got me drooling over these exciting fall trends.
1. maxi skirts + big sweaters
splenderosa.blogspot.com
This is Zanna Roberts Rassi, Senior Fashion Editor at Marie Claire. She is Sr. Fashion Editor for a reason.... how lovely.
2. techinicolor blocking
Gucci
Pairing bright pinks with orange and jade is so not me, but I'm going to do my best to find some great colorful statement piece steals, so I won't have severe buyer's remorse if I don't wear them again after this season.
However this little pop of color is just perfect. Cole Haan = best classics with a hint of genius.
Cole Haan Stephanie Air Oxford Pump
3. lace
Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung
I love it - especially in black this season.
4. winter white
Burberry
I guess this is always a fall trend.... so even more reason to make sure it made the Top 5!
5. floral
Erdem
Paired with dark tights and perhaps those Cole Haan's above, this is a perfect work-to-evening outfit for fall.
What are your favorites? Have you already purchased your Fall 2011 must-haves? Coming soon.... these trends within a 20-something's price range!
I have struggled with thin, body-less hair all my life. My mom says I need to curl it in order for it to look good, but who wants to spend all that time with a curling iron or rollers in the morning? Not me. Not a morning person.
So, I've been lazy and worn it long and straight (and stringy) for the majority of the last 10 years. I teased my hair to new heights in college; for some reason this was considered OK for the better part of my 4.5 glorious years at K-State. Looking back, I was dangerously close to this look:
NOT OK!! No offense to Drew, she's beautiful no matter what but yikes, imagine this with straight red hair. I'm sure this bouffant look will come circling its way back in style, but for now, this is unacceptable.
Recently, I've found some really fast and easy tricks I thought I'd share with everyone who has hair troubles like mine....
1. My favorite is the following video from Lucky. It's a step-by-step tutorial on how to easily and quickly get beautiful bouncy hair. I just used this trick last weekend for a wedding and was thrilled with the turnout!
2. This next video provides easy instructions on how to do a waterfall braid on yourself. If you can french braid, you'll have no problem picking this up. I've been wearing this look most weekends, especially after completing #1.
3. Lastly, for those mornings I hit snooze 4-5 times, the Katniss braid. Named after the bad ass protagonist in The Hunger Games (obsessed). Wearing it now and all the time here. Find out how to do the reverse french braid part here.
On an unrelated note, happy last few hours of hump day! I personally can't wait for the weekend....
For this week's Top 5 Tuesday, I wanted to give a shout out to some great blogs I read.... thank you for your funny stories, interesting views, delicious recipes, spot-on fashion sense and inspiration!
I am a big fan of the oatmeal / tan / greige color scheme, and have noticed lately that burlap has been blowing up on Pinterest. I like this A LOT. Not only for wedding decor (which is so romantic in a "I'm more laid back than silk and lace" way) but in furniture, decor and accessories too! Here are some recent favorites:
TOMS $54
Louis XIII inspired burlap chair. Restoration Hardware.
Burlap seahorse pillow from www.domestically-speaking.com
I've already mentioned this band briefly a while ago, but I am so in love with them, they deserve their own post.
These guys are brilliant......
You've probably heard their first single "Pumped Up Kicks", released early in 2010 but just now hitting major radio stations. If you like the happy, catchy.... alright, addicting music with the interesting (read: dark) lyrics of Kicks, the entire album will be a thrilling experience for you.
Seriously, I like the whole thing. I can't remember the last time that happened. Not even old faithful The Black Keys do that to me. They're so awesome Weezer did a cover of Pumped Up Kicks at Lollapalooza last weekend. When Rivers Cuomo sings your song at Lolla, you've pretty much made it.
And to look past their musicality, they give back to the community. Just announced today, they are kicking off "Foster The Future" in partnership with The Do Good Bus. They'll work with a charity in each city on their North American tour and spend some time volunteering there. *Sigh*
Embarrassing story time: FTP came to Kansas City for a 7am acoustic show. My favorite radio station in town was putting it on: first come, first serve. Blue Eyes & I were PUMPED to see them (excuse the pun, it was intended). So excited in fact, that we woke up at 4:30 on a Tuesday morning, fully ready to play hooky from work for a few hours, drove to the Firefly Lounge, and parked in the empty lot. What? Were we that big of fans? Or do these early morning shows really not pull in a crowd? Something was seriously wrong.... so we pull up the radio station's website on the Blackberry and sure enough, the concert is at 7am on FRIDAY. I was so excited to see them perform I forgot to listen to the ad long enough to figure out when they were playing. And apparently Blue Eyes believes everything I say, which in most cases is good except when I pull a ditz move like that. As if that isn't bad enough, the worst part is by the time Friday morning came around, I missed the concert. Effff!
Next time, Mark Foster & co, I will make it to hear your music. Come back to KC soon please!
Today is the birthday of the wonderful Michael Kors: King of classic American style, and my favorite judge on Project Runway. In honor of his wonderfulness' birthday, here's some of my favorite pieces from his Fall 2011 and Resort 2012 collections. *Happy Birthday Michael Kors!*
Fall 2011 Platinum cape and Smoke shift
She looks like a winter goddess/bad ass in those boots.
Brown runway watch
How beautiful is this watch? Brown stainless steel?! I'm going to have to check that out in person stat...
Buckled Motorcycle Jacket
I love shearling, but not to worry - this jacket is made of all faux sheepskin & shearling. No animals hurt here!
Resort 2012 gold jacket
Hello fabulous. This screams "Welcome to my spring cocktail party at the Hamptons."
Thanks to Lucky Magazine (avid reader since issue #1), I have recently discovered a gem of a website. Shoe lovers: get excited. It's called milk & honey shoes, and simply stated, you create your own shoes at a fraction of Louboutin, Choo, and Blahnik's prices - without sacrificing quality.
I love chunky heels for work, but have a horrible time finding them in stores, especially in the color I want and within my budget. But I do really like these:
Diane Von Furstenberg Roxanne Pump
Prada Pilgrim Buckle Pump
Being a red head, I never wear pink, but how great would those Prada's be with a neutral outfit? Love.
Anyway, milk & honey shoes lets you create a pair of completely custom digs with your choice of toe, heel, height, embellishments, and TONS of different fabrics. I'm designing a pair of chunky heel loafers as I write this blog. You can check out the creators' story here. Plus, it's really fun to pretend you're a designer making final decisions on your line of shoes!
So it has been more than a month since my last post.... What have I been doing, you ask?
Well, I went to South America. Buenos Aires, Uruguay, and Rio de Janeiro to be exact. Here are some pics, you all should need to go!
Our view from the apartment in Buenos Aires, Palermo neighborhood
La Boca neighborhood in BA, this is the most "traditional" tourist area. I compared it to a much better version of the Midwest's Branson, MO. Lots of tango shows here.
This is what I ate a gigantic steak on. Love it.
Blue Eyes taking a stroll in Uruguay.
At the pier in Colonia de Sacramento, Uruguay
Beautiful Ipanema Beach
Copa, Copacabana......
Had to go see the Big Guy in Rio. Breathtaking.
After the trip, I bought a car. And the day job got crazy busy. That's what I've been up to. So, Sorry I'm Not Sorry I have been negligent, I'M BACK!
