A Mary Janes Challenge

Jou Jou boyfriend blazer - Tilly's (buy)

Mary Janes - Discount Women's Dress Shoes (buy)

bubble necklace - BubbleJewellry on Etsy (buy)

Merona skirt - Target (buy)

Mossimo shirt - Target (buy)

Big Star Dylan boyfriend jean - Buckle (buy)

My fellow clothing addict Jessica asked me to help her come up with a teaching outfit to go with her black Mary Jane heels. I love Mary Janes, they are a timeless shoe and the perfect blend of classic style and modern femininity. I decided to stick with classic pieces for her teaching outfit by pairing a knife-pleated skirt and fitted boyfriend blazer with the shoes, and gave it a youthful twist by choosing a shirt in a contrasting shade of pink. Bubble necklaces are the ultimate on-trend accessory right now, and a pair of cuffed jeans can be traded with the skirt for an after-school drink or date night!

xo, Kellie

A Wedding-Wear Challenge

purple dress - Target (buy) / maxi dress - Private Gallery (buy)

wedges - Target (buy left, buy right)

necklace - Piperlime

I'm back with Ali's second challenge! She needs something to wear to a wedding later this summer and asked me to make some suggestions. She's a fan of purple, coral and teal, all colors that go well together. 

I came up with two options for Ali: One knee-length dress, and one maxi dress. As someone who didn't even like maxi dresses for a couple of years, I know that they can be intimidating to style. However, I think they offer elegance in a very comfortable package. On the other hand, if you're looking to show some leg, knee length is the way to go for a wedding.

As someone who caters weddings on a regular basis, I feel like I can offer some expertise on the subject of wedding apparel. Here is my personal list of wedding-wear don'ts:

1. Don't wear white. Avoid cream, ivory, and any other form of off-white as well.

2. Don't wear black. It's depressing, and this is a day of celebration.

3. Do not wear anything that looks like it could be a bridesmaid's dress ... Unless you're a bridesmaid.

4. For the love of all that is good, DO NOT WEAR JEANS! Or shorts. Or mini skirts.

What you should do is wear something comfortable, especially if you're the dancing type. Bright colors are always great, especially for a spring or summer wedding. For this time of year I think open-toed shoes are perfect, especially with a maxi dress. (I don't think that closed-toe shoes should ever be worn with maxis!)

Added bonus: Both of the dresses that I chose will get plenty of wear after the wedding. The shorter dress can be worn to work with a pair of camel or black wedges, and the maxi dress paired with flip flops or gladiator sandals makes a perfect casual weekend dress!

xo, Kellie

The $150 Challenge, Remixed

Cognac wedges and a matching belt contrast well with the black and pink and help to mute the bright pops of color from the shirt and purse. Keep accessories simple since your colors are taking center stage.

Accessories with touches of gold can take an outfit from the office to a night out. Don't be afraid to add in some color, and remember that you don't have to wear the belt that came with the dress!

For casual Friday at work, a bright top and a contrasting bright skinny belt do all the talking alongside basic pants and accessories.

 A lot of times you can tuck a dress into a pencil skirt, and it's as if you just doubled the uses for that article of clothing. Cinch with a wide belt, add shoes to match, and top everything off with a statement necklace.

A lot of the accessories that I chose are versatile and can be used throughout your wardrobe. Buying accessories all at once is obviously expensive, but if you keep a mental list of things you'd like to add, you can pick up pieces here and there over time.

Ali has given me another challenge (she's a real person, I swear!), so check back later to see what she has tasked me with next!

xo, Kellie

A $150 Challenge

striped dress - JC Penney (buy)

American Eagle wedges - Payless (buy)

Dexter wedges - Payless (buy)

Mossimo chambray pants - Target (buy)

Crystal Cutouts top - Francescas (buy)

black pencil skirt - I found mine at Marshalls for under $20 (buy similar)

My good friend Ali challenged me to help her add to her professional wardrobe with separates for around $150. Since I'm always down for a shopping trip -- even if it's just virtual -- I got to work right away!

What I have slowly learned with my own work wardrobe is that pieces can often be worn in more ways than one. Shirts can be tucked or untucked, layered over a colorful cami or under a cardigan or blazer. Dresses can be belted, tucked into a skirt, worn under a cardigan or blazer, and sometimes even tucked into pants. Just a different belt and pair of shoes can make an outfit look entirely different, so with a little creativity you can actually make your wardrobe go further than you think.

For Ali I picked basics that can be mixed and matched with one another, and that will also be easy to pair with future purchases. I went a little over the $150 limit with the items shown above, totaling out at $168.97, but this list is meant to act as a guide. Hit up stores like Marshalls and TJ Maxx and you can find similar items at budget prices.

Some notes for the shopper:

- For a dress/skirt combo to work, you need to find a skirt that is well-lined. Pay attention to the material of the skirt and keep in mind what kind of activity you'll be doing in it -- Will you be sitting all day? Could you end up with crease marks? 

- The chambray pants shown above are, in my opinion, a must-have in every working girl's closet. I bought mine about two years ago and still wear them at least once a week, but usually twice. They're not denim, so they're work-appropriate, but they're close enough to denim in appearance that you can style them as you would a pair of jeans.

- Wedges are my favorite type of shoe for work. Flats can sometimes be too casual, and heels can get uncomfortable as the day goes on. Wedges are the perfect compromise, and they are also both youthful and feminine!

Check back later this week for a few remixes of the items I chose!

xo, Kellie

A Tax Return Shopping List

My shopping habits have drastically improved since I started blogging about clothes. I'm much less of an impulse shopper than I used to be, I often go clothing hunting with a specific item in mind, or I consider how pieces that I am trying on will fit in with the rest of my wardrobe. All of that sensibleness goes out the window when I have more money than I am used to, however. When I saw that my tax return had been deposited into my bank account yesterday morning my first thought was "do I have time to go shopping before work?" My heart started racing, my face heated up, and my brain screamed "LET'S GO SHOPPING!"

I'd like to tell you that I quelled this shopping monster and went on my merry way to work, but I actually got dressed, took my outfit photos and posted my blog entry yesterday with enough time to pop into the Navy Exchange and buy that Coach perfume I've been coveting and a new pair of sunglasses. At least both of those items were things that I was planning to buy, right?

Anyway, in an effort to prevent myself from buying every single piece of clothing that I can get my grubby hands on, I have made a list of items that I want to add to my closet. Here's a few of them:

1. Colored trousers. I've already got my burgundy pair from Zara, but I still feel like I'm missing a brightly colored pair of work-appropriate trousers. I'm thinking either green or pink.

2. Nude heels. I feel like these are one of those items that every girl should have in their closet. And I think they'll go perfectly with the blue lace dress that I bought last week!

3. Black blazer. I don't even know how many months it's been since I started looking for the perfect cropped black blazer. So far it has eluded me, but it's only a matter of time before I find one!

4. Calvin Klein striped dress. If you're a fan of us on Facebook you probably saw my post a few days ago about my dilemma over whether to buy this Calvin Klein dress or a Shelli Segal lace dress. I ended up buying the lace dress, but I still want this one, too, if it's still available.

5. Gingham shirt. I feel like this is another one of those closet essentials. I tried on a Ralph Lauren gingham shirt the same day that I tried on the above-mentioned dresses, so I'll be keeping an eye out for that guy when I return to search for the Calvin Klein dress!

Once I'm done at work and Jess is done playing with her new friend (OMG!), we're off to the mall (malls?) for some E&O shopping. We'll report back soon with our finds!

xo, Kellie

Back to School!

Okay, so it took a couple days, but here are two of my outfits of my first week back to school. My knee has healed up enough so I can wear my various sandals (I was tripping over them before I had my gait back). I'm a little lucky, because I have evening classes, so the heat isn't a huge issue. 

Monday: 

I got this bag on a recent excursion to Marshall's with Kellie-- $25!! 

This burgundy Grecian-style from Target has never been one of my faves, but it was raining and my first outfit would have looked a hot mess. So I threw this on, wrapped a belt around myself, and wondered why I ever disliked it. Further validation occurred on campus, with three different compliments from nice people. The owl was a gift from my little brother's girlfriend, a souvenir from Spain. 

 Wednesday: 

My lack of exercise is starting to get to me; I put this together after hurling clothes around my room and then laying in the mess bemoaning my lack of exciting ensemble options. There are those days that you just feel blah, and this was one. I normally jog it out, but I had to let my wardrobe cheer me up. I nixed the polka-dot top and short outfit I had picked out and went with this flower print dress and gray cardigan. The colors definitely put a smile on my face. This bracelet is one that I have been working on for a while, and finally finished. 

I've got a few more, stay tuned!

--Jessica

Red

Xhilaration dress - Target (buy) / Merona wedges - Target (buy) / belt - came with a dress

leaf charm from a Target necklace (buy similar) / watch - Fossil (buy)

I popped in to Target on my way to work on Saturday to pick up a new pair of black wedges to replace the pair that had worn out. I knew that this particular store had the shoes, because after weeks of looking for them I had spotted them the night before while on a grocery trip. (Yes, I go to Target a lot, my boyfriend says that I live there. Moving on ...) But somewhere between Friday night and Saturday afternoon a new pair of wedges, in the same style as the black pair, had been set out on the shelves. And they were red. I've secretly been wanting a pair of red shoes for a while, and although I had flats in mind, the wedges went perfectly with the outfit that I was wearing for work that night. Somewhat long story short, I walked out of Target with a new pair of red wedges and sour Jelly Bellies.

xo, Kellie

Scenes From a Dressing Room: 8.12.11

I took advantage of tax-free weekend (and pay day) and headed to the Avenues Mall after work today. I took my friend Paula along and she proved to be an excellent shopping assistant. Seriously, this girl was a machine, picking out items for me to try on. Can you guess which pieces I bought?

In the spirit of slowly trying to overhaul my closet, I pulled about 20 items together that I'm trying to get rid of. No offers have been made yet, perhaps I should just take them to Goodwill? I'd love to pick up some cash, though, even if it's $20. Guess we'll see what happens.

xo, Kellie

Weekend Wrap-Up

My apologies for a longer-than-usual absence! With Matt getting back last Wednesday, running errands to get the apartment in order, and still having to work Thursday through Sunday, life has been just a wee bit hectic.

Craziness aside, I still managed to capture a few images from the weekend.

We had our first dinner together in the apartment Friday night. We're still lacking in the dining furniture department, so my footlocker served as a dining-room table and the floor as our chairs. I made Mexican stuffed peppers and got to enjoy a glass of wine that was brought to me from France. Pretty awesome, huh? Those flowers were also from Matt, he had them in hand when he got off the boat on Wednesday.

Kirra tank - Marshalls / Lush high-waist shorts - Wolfgang (buy similar)

gladiator sandals - Target (buy similar) / leaf charm from a Target necklace (buy similar)

Asian bangle - World Market (buy similar) / Greek key bracelet - re-gifted by Matt (buy similar)

I didn't think to snap any pictures on Saturday, but in a nutshell we went to an arts market in downtown Jacksonville, went to my favorite shop in the historic district, picked up some new clothes for Matt at the mall, and picked out a couch. We're so excited to have a couch, you have no idea!

The shorts pictured in my outfit came from Wolfgang. I bought a pair of linen black shorts from Forever 21 last week to wear to the pier for Matt's homecoming, but the darn things were wrinkled and sagging in the rear by noon. I know better than to expect high quality from F21, but I think I redeemed myself with the Wolfgang pair.

Sunday was slightly less hectic, a couple of stops at the St. John's Town Center and an early dinner at Mimi's Cafe. We stopped in at West Elm where there was an entire wall display of owls. Sadly we left without one, but I made sure to mention that I still need three or four more owls to complete my collection.

Off to watch a movie and get to bed to so we can wake up for our couch delivery in the morning!

xo, Kellie

Baubles and Blue

Shopping day with Kellie, and the first stop was the Clothing Warehouse for some Tiffany blue wayfarers. 

Onto browsing through the best thrift store in 5 Points for ideas on jewelry reworking (bolo ties, anyone?) and a couple vases. Collected an inspiration or two from a lariat pearl necklace and a wire-and-glass-bead number. 

A sale at Loft left me with a $7 shirt and new pair of shorts to covet; I'd say it was a successful shopping trip.

Off to count my dollars --Jessica Sunshine

Not-so-casual Friday

Unlike some offices where the day of the week dictates the work wardrobe, my wardrobe is dictated by what's going on each day. Today we had a served lunch for about 250 people, so it wasn't a day to go casual. I found this skirt at Ross, it was hanging on one of the display racks in the aisle, just calling my name. The blouse and the belt are from Maurices, and the shoes are from Target. I go through dress shoes pretty quickly with my job, so Target is a great place to get cute shoes at a good price.

  
Today was also pay day, which for me means shopping day! I met Jessica and her mom at the St. John's Town Center and picked up a coral ruffle tank at Private Gallery, then I headed over to the Avenues Mall where I picked up a layered necklace, a belted batwing blouse and a light gray pencil skirt at Windsor. I also stopped at New York and Company to look for work clothes, and found a couple of v-neck blouses that would have been good for both work and play, and a cute purple belt, but I ended up putting my selections back on the rack because it was taking way too long to check out. The only associate I encountered the entire time I was in the store was the fitting room attendant, and she wasn't exactly polite. I wasn't greeted at any point that I was in the store, and none of the associates even seemed to care that I was there shopping, so I decided not to spend my money. 

Thanks for giving me time to rethink a $60 purchase, NY&C!

xo, Kellie