Modcloth strikes again!

In addition to bright, fresh florals, another popular trend this seasons is (drumroll please)... neutrals! I know that sounds pretty dull, and on its own, well, it sort-of is. Until you see neutrals like this:

Merryweather Dress, Modcloth, $89.99

Gorgeous, right? And proof that spring doesn't always have to be about bold prints and colors.

Shoesday Tuesday: If Dorothy had the blues...

... she'd wear these:

Betsey Johnson Sequined Pump, Smart Bargains via Shop It To Me, $109

I've talked about Shop It To Me before, but I think it's been a while, so I'll touch on it again. Shop It To Me is a free service designed to create a customized email that arrives in your inbox as frequently (or infrequently) as you like full of designer products you like. Once you sign up, you fill in your sizes and then select which designer duds you'd like to hear about. Are you obsessed with Michael Kors? Do you die for Dolce & Gabanna? How about Valentino? Just click away and select your faves. I have my "SaleMail" set to deliver twice per week- once on Monday and once on Thursday. And the best part about this service? All the items they send you are on sale. For example, the Betsey Johnson pumps pictured above were originally priced at $200. At nearly half off the original price, I'd call that a bargain. And for those of you who (like me) can't afford super high end duds, there are plenty of mid to low range options as well including Steve Madden, Ann Taylor, Nine West and Levi's as well as all sorts of diffusion lines like BCBGeneration and MICHAEL by Michael Kors.

I enjoy receiving the emails simply because it's fun to scroll through the items and see interesting pieces. Dresses, blouses, jeans, skirts, handbags, jewelry, shoes- it's all covered. They have menswear options, too, so it's not just for the ladies. Also, a single Shop It To Me email will include items from about a dozen (minimum) different designers and websites, so you get a lot of variety. Personally, I prefer that to getting an email with items from only one store.

Do you already use Shop It To Me? Leave a comment and tell me what you think about it. Have a great day, everyone!

Brunettes have just as much fun as blondes...

And I would know because I was once a blonde and now I am a brunette. I was born with the blondest of blonde hair and it stayed blonde all the way through college. Shortly thereafter it started to darken up a litttle bit, but then three years ago I went for the dark brunette look and I haven't regretted it once.

It seems like whenever the subject of a cute brunette comes up, the immediate response is to mention Zooey Deschanel. It makes sense- she's basically the cutest person alive with a unique but accessible sense of style. She wears vintage in a way that looks modern and fresh. It's understandable why everyone loves her. And her music is catchy, too! But today I want to focus on some other adorable brunettes whose style is just as cute and accessible as Zooey's.


For starters, let's talk about Katie Holmes. Despite the drama and rumors surrounding her marriage, I think she is just so precious. She has a great sense of style and looks so put together so much of the time. I am in love with this look:

It translates beautifully into spring as well- a more open-toed shoe and walking shorts instead of jeans and it's a perfect spring outfit. The success of this outfit hinges upon the flowy, uber-feminine lace tiered top juxtaposed against the structure of the fitted pants and of course the menswear-inspired military jacket. Below are two options for putting this outfit together for yourself- the left is a cool weather option, the right warm weather and the center pieces are what would be used for both outfits.

Tiered Lace Knit Top, Forever 21, $19.80

Sunglasses, Aldo, $12

Cool weather options:

BB Dakota Delaine Sarge Jacket, Piperlime, $84

Martin Skinny Pant, Banana Republic, $89.50

Trikki Oxford, Steve Madden, $99.95

Warm weather options:

Denim Cadet Vest, Forever 21, $24.80

Bermuda Short, Banana Republic, $49.50

Adalie Flat, Nine West, $110

Another favorite brunette of mine (for her style) is Emmy Rossum, most known for her role in the film version of The Phantom of the Opera. Here she is wearing Christian Siriano (of course I have to love her for that):

Is she adorable or what? And while she can certainly rock the glam look, she's equally fabulous-looking in something far more casual and breezy:

This is another simple outfit to recreate:

Square Neck Dress, Old Navy, $12.99

Prime Denim Jacket, Forever 21, $26.80

Caryssa Platform Pump, Steve Madden, $99.95

Vintage Grommet Belt, Gap, $24.99

Double Circle Chain Necklace, Buy.com, $56.40

Finally, the last brunette I'd like to feature today is Vanessa Hudgens. I absolutely adore this casual look- it's obviously super comfy, but also super chic.

Here's the last style collage of the day- an attempt to recreate Vanessa's fabulous casual look:

Crinkle Shirtdress, Banana Republic, $120

Straw Floppy Hat, Target, Available in store only- call for price and availability

Chicles Fabric Belt, Aldo, $25

Ambrozia Sandal, Nine West, $59

Black Hobo Handbag, Purse Boutique, $29.95

So that's my case for why brunettes can have just as much fun (and be just as stylish) as any blonde out there! Leave a comment to tell me what you think of the celebrity style or my versions in the collages, or anything else that comes to mind! Have a great night!

300th Post Round-up

Since this entry marks both my 300th post as well as the end of my most prolific month of blogging, I thought I'd do a round-up of some older favorites. Whether you're new to the blog or you've been reading from the beginning, take some time to click through my faves and you'll get a nice little sampling of what makes me tick. Enjoy! (And leave a comment!)

My Top 5 Shoe-related posts:
1.) McQueen's Elephants
2.) Shoesday Tuesday- Making Heels more Comfortable
3.)  Nude Shoes
4.) My Craziest Shoes
5.) Shoesday Tuesday (the original)

My Top 5 Inspiring posts:
1.) Mai Lemore "Price Upon Request" shoes
2.) First Day of Spring and Film Fashion Found
3.) Red Carpet Fashion
4.) Luly Yang Butterfly Dress 
5.) Gene London Costume Collection and DVF's Wrap Dress and Christian Siriano
(What can I say- I'm inspired by more than just 5 posts! Ha!)

My Top 5 Handmade posts:
1.) Lady in Red Dress
2.) Bow Ties By Bouche
3.) I Feel Pretty
4.) I Love Etsy
5.) Unique Accessory Storage- DIY

My Top 5 Tricks of the Trade:
1.) Elongating Effects
2.) Clip-in Bangs
3.) Wearing Prints for Women and Men
4.) Wardrobe Repair and Caring for Your Clothes
5.) How to Get a Discount

My Top 5 Accessory Posts:
1.) How to Wear a Scarf
2.) Handbags, Oh yeah!
3.) Fabulous Etsy Finds
4.) Why You Should Wear Dangling Earrings
5.) Cameo Appearance

My Top 5 Rate My Look Posts:
1.) Wardrobe Capsule
2.) Amy & Aaron's Wedding
3.) Winter White and Summer in Winter and Spring Fever
4.) eShakti Outfit
5.) Mixed Prints and Mixed Plaids

My Top 5 That Don't Really Fall Into a Category But I Like Them So I'm Making a List of Them:
1.) Tim Gunn Said I'm Fabulous
2.) Bubblicious
3.) Fashion as Art
4.) Style Support and Moral Support
5.) What's Your New Black? (the post that started it all)

I know I cheated and put more than one post per line sometimes, but it was so hard to narrow some of these down! And since it's my blog, I get to make my own rules, right? And like I said earler, take some time to click through these posts and leave me some comments- you know how I love them! Also, if there is anything that sparks a question or makes you think of a topic I haven't covered, but you'd like to read about, just let me know. Happy reading!

KOP Shopping, etc.

I'm excited to tell all of you about my weekend because so far it has been pretty fabulous. Last night, my good friend Amy had a gig singing her signature jazz stylings at a hotel/bar downtown. My other friend Michelle and I got all prettied up and went to listen to her. It was a great time and I must say we looked pretty darn good if I do say so myself:

I wore my favorite LBD (the one that was featured in this post not too long ago). I layered on some fun necklaces and also sported my Christian Siriano for Payless super hot heels:

I wish I had a good picture of the whole outfit. Andrea (another friend and also my boss) referred to the outfit as my "husband grabbing" outfit. By that she means it'll be the outfit I wear when I find me a great man, not that I'll be grabbing anyone's husband. It's her way of saying I looked good, so I wish I had made a point of getting a picture. Oh, well. Between the previous post and the shoe picture, I'm sure you can put it all together in your head!

Today was another great day- I went to the King of Prussia Mall with Andrea and we shopped our butts off! I have already given her fair warning that the AMAZING Coach shoes she bought need to be on the blog ASAP. So Andrea, if you're reading, get an outfit together!

We LOVE the KOP mall because there are so many amazingly beautiful things- we don't have a Nordstrom or a Bloomingdales or a Lord & Taylor here in Lancaster, PA, so when we go to KOP and have all these high end stores right at our fingertips, it's hard to control ourselves! We also like to stop in at Tiffany's or Cartier and visit some pretty diamonds. It's the ultimate girly experience. Of course we always finish off the day at the Cheesecake Factory completely stuffing our faces full of delicious food and drinks. Who could ask for anything more?

While out shopping, we tried on about a million different pair of shoes including these FIERCE cut-out boots at Nordstrom (please ignore my rolled up jeans):

What caught my eye initially was the fact that these were cloth cut-out booties- perfect for spring/sumer, but I could totally layer tights under them in fall or winter, too. What made me want to try them on was the fact that there is LITERALLY a pillow inside the shoe. I'm not kidding- the insole of these booties has about a half inch of super soft padding which makes it feel like you are literally walking on a pillow. In case I've never mentioned it before, I'm perfectly willing to suffer for a fierce pair of shoes, but I secretly wish that every shoe I own feels like I'm wearing the plushest slipper ever made. These shoes are basically what I wish for every shoe in my closet. They were SO comfortable! At $130 (plus tax), I'm afraid they were quite a bit out of my budget range, especially for such a trendy item, but if I had unlimited resources, they'd have been mine! If you dig 'em and can afford 'em, but don't have a Nordstrom nearby, you can buy a wedge version of the bootie online here.

Another pair of shoes I lusted after was this flat oxford at Bloomingdales:

I DIE for these shoes. They cost $130, but I seriously considered splurging on them because they were THAT beautiful and THAT comfortable. They were even more comfortable in black:

I am happy to take donations from anyone who wants to contribute to my cut-out oxford need. And what a desperate need it is! The black version was so soft and supple. The tan was not quite as soft as the back, but they still felt amazing on my feet. And even more amazing in terms of both style and comfort were these two-tone spectator oxfords:

I'm obsessed with these oxfords. First of all, they are designed by Bloch, which is a dance shoe company. So you know they're going to be the MOST comfortable shoe youll ever own. Who buys uncomfortable shoes to dance in? Nobody, that's who! I think it's brilliant for a dance company to manufacture shoes for the masses- function, comfort and style all coming together at last!

I ended up getting NOTHNG the entire day. But sometimes that's a good thing. I feel pretty good about the fact that I didn't buy anything other than my dinner today. Well, now I'm starting to get sleepy to the point where I fall asleep at the computer, so I think I'll call it a night and publish this rambling post. Have a great night!

Vintage Inspiration

My latest assignment at AMT is to design the wardrobe for "California Soul" a rockin' tribute to the music of the 60's & 70's, specifically geared towards the west coast. There is so much great music in this show, but what I'm loving the most about it is all the fun research I get to do. The late 60's through the early 80's were a crazy time for fashion, particularly the 70's. Psychadelic prints, maxi-dresses, big hair (on women AND men), platform shoes, bell bottoms, I love all of it. It's a lot of clothing that I personally might not have the nerve to wear, but that's what make the fantasy of it so much more enjoyable. I've encountered some great style icons in my research including:

Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane

Janis Joplin

The 5th Dimension

Twiggy, the icon of icons

All the clothing is so over the top, but I adore it all. We all know what a treasure trove of vintage can be found on Etsy, so here are some fabulous inspiring pieces from various vintage etsy stores for all of you:

Does this dress make you go cross-eyed like me?

As Tim Gunn would say, this maxi dress is a lot of look!

Is there anything more "hippie chic" for a hippie chick than this cool printed blouse?

Well maybe, but it would have to be these zipper trimmed bell bottom jeans!

Let's not forget the stylish options for men! Every guy needs a great dashiki, right?

I also love a guy who can rock a fur-trimmed collar on a coat like this.

And what vintage 70's round-up would be complete without a pair of fierce platforms?

And finally, don't you just die for this swirly Mod dress?

I tend to look better in 50's style silhouettes (a-line and full skirts), but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the silhouettes of the following 2 decades. Do you have a vintage style icon? Leave a comment and tell me all about your faves!

Project Runway: Season Seven, Episode 10

WIN: Emilio
AUF'd Anthony

I'm exhausted right now so this will be brief. I have to say that I am sad to see Anthony go, but not because he is my favorite designer. It's because he's my favorite comedian! Every week he has something hilarious to say and I will miss his one-liners and his great accent. I never really saw Anthony as one of the final three, but I do wish Mila had gone home instead of him. Mila's dress was not only hideous and uninspired, but her model couldn't even walk in it! Tragic. Completely tragic.

As for the win, I'm happy for Emilio and I do think he did an amazing job all around. Seth Aaron's was also quite incredible, especially his impeccable tailoring. Jackets and pants are SO much harder than dresses, so I sort of feel like he deserved the win a little more. In the end, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it, but I do hope I see both Emilio and Seth Aaron in the finals along with Maya. Just as long as Mila isn't in the finale. I'm so over everything about her.
What about you? What did you think of the challenge this week? I found the fact that they got to design their own fabric completely amazing and so exciting. I'd love to have an opportunity like that!

Well, I'm off to bed. I'm SO sleepy! Good night!

Blog awards are fun!

I feel SO special today because Beth over at Refashion, Recycle, Reuse has honored me with a blog award!

Beth is a total sweetheart who writes a great fashion blog and always has stellar outfits. Pop over to her blog and check it out. Leave her a comment. Tell her she's fabulous. That's actually one of the things I really love about blog awards- discovering new bloggers. Nearly all blog awards have some type of rule that involves posting back to the person who gave you the award as well as paying it forward to other deserving bloggers. It's a win-win for all involved. In addition to the parameters mentioned above, Beth's rule for this award is to post a picture of yourself "in your finery" with the blog award. You may also photoshop the award image onto a photo of yourself if you prefer. I took it to the old-school-ghetto level and used a scanner. Oh yeah, that's right, kids. I'm retro:

And now for the part where I pay it forward. My blog award winners are as follows:

1.) Purse Addict- Anyone with this many Louboutins deserves an award. 'Nuff said.

2.) The Cat and the Cow- I dream of the day when I can wear vintage like Allie. She is as adorable as they come.

3.) Kendi Everyday- I recently discovered this blog and her photos are simply stunning. I'm a total Kendi addict now.

4.) Daddy Likey- Winona wins this award because anyone who can come up with a series like "Don't Show-Cha your Cho-Cha" deserves an award.

5.) Natalya's Closet- I admire Natalya because she is taking a huge risk and completely changing her career path to pursue her degree in fashion design. It can't be easy, but I respect her for doing it. And what made her realize she wanted to make this change? Her fashion blog!

6.) Mrs. Hall in Training- Kameel always looks so joyful in her photos- like she's truly comfortable in her own skin and happy to be making a bold fashion statement. I dig her.

7.) Uber Chic for Cheap- Madeline not only regularly posts fabulous bargains from all sorts of fabulous stores, but she even started the Uber Chic Boutique which you should all check out.

8.) B.B.Bellezza- Kim not only has her own Etsy shop, but she also posts regularly on her blog with tips on how to recycle just about anything. Her theme is always sustainability.

9.) Fell 4 Fashion- Danielle is yet another fashionista who brings me joy!

10.) Wicked Thrifty- Anyone who will use the term "wicked" in her blog title is ok in my book. (True New Englanders have to stick together! In addition to being wicked awesome for her New England-ness, Desiree writes about all sorts of fashionable yet thrifty things- and not just clothes- home decor, personal finance-she makes every topic fashionable.

Take some time to check out the blogs of all these lovely ladies. I promise you will not be disappointed! Have a great day, everyone!

Peaceful Protest

In protest of the cold weather that seems to be descending upon Lancaster, PA, I am posting "Ten Spring Finds for $10 or Less." Enjoy! (Click the description of each item to be taken to the site where it is sold.)

Old Navy Graphic Tee (Available in several colors), $9.99

Forever 21 Flowy Blurred Floral Skirt (Available in 2 colors), $9.50

Fair Indigo Red Rock Candy Bracelet, $8.80

Thai Silk Embroidered Clutch (Available in many colors), Etsy $7.00

(I think of it as more of a coin purse, but whatevs)

Mossimo Perri Gladiator Sandal (via Amazon), $8.04

Forever 21 Aviator-Style Sunglasses (Available in 2 colors), $5.80

Aldo Tweet Chandelier Earrings, $9.98

Old Navy Ruffle Trim Jersey Cami (Available in many colors), $8-$10

Old Navy Canvas Tote (Available in 4 colors), $10

Forever 21 Rainbow Bracelet Set, $5.80

Know any other great deals out there right now? Leave a comment!

Just call me Annie Leibovitz

Jeans: Old Navy

Top: SYMS

Earrings: Ten Thousand Villages

Ring: Festoon

Shoes: Deb Shops

So last week there was an absolutely STUNNING day where I probably could have worn a skirt or dress, but I somehow ended up in jeans. I enjoyed this outfit a great deal, though. I love the combination of the bright mustard yellow pumps with the turquoise ring and the fuchsia earrings. The polka dots helped keep it cheerful, too. Anyway, I convinced my friend Ken to snap some more fun photos for me, but he also turned things around and I got to snap a few of him!

I'd like to take credit for my work, but I'll be honest. I probably took over 50 shots and these were the "good" ones. So maybe photography won't be in my future, but I sure had a lot of fun pretending I was good at it.

Shoesday Tuesday- Pretty in Pink

After work today I got my first pedicure of the season:

About the only thing related to shoes in this post is that I really didn't plan well for the pedicure. I wore my (favorite) black CLOSED-TOE wedges to work today and didn't have time to stop at home to change before heading to the spa. So I ended up wearing those disposable flip flops all the way home. Thank goodness I didn't get pulled over! I even left the toe separators in! I realized after the pedi was finished that I'd chosen a bright pink polish. (The colors never look the same on your toes as they do in the bottle, do they?) I thought I'd picked a much deeper purple-ish pink, but it was more of a bright fuchsia once it was on my toes. I realized then that I'd gone WAY overboard on the pink today. I wore this dress to work:

And since it was a little chilly, I threw on a trench to keep warm:

Pink, pink and more pink. I'm reminded of Dolores Umbridge:

It seems like nearly every other weekend there's a channel that will run a marathon  of the Harry Potter movies. Over this past weekend I watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. If I haven't mentioned it before, I'm a HUGE Harry Potter fan. I've read all the books at least 5 times, and I like the movies, too. Anyway, maybe Dolores Umbridge's character subliminally affected my outfit choice today. Perish the thought.

And now before you all start commenting on my new hairstyle, specificaly the bangs, let me set the record straight: they are fake. Remember this post about the faux-bangs? Well, I finally got up the nerve to wear them out in public. I felt a little like Zooey Deschanel or Anne Hathaway in "The Devil Wears Prada." They were a big hit at work, but just like bragging about bargains, I'm unable to keep it to myself that my bangs aren't real. Every time I heard "I like your hair!" or "Yourhair looks good today!" I abslutely HAD to respond with, "My bangs are fake!" It was like tourettes. Well, it was nothing like tourettes, actually, but I felt like I couldn't hold it in. All day I just kept on exclaiming, "My bangs are fake! My bangs are fake!" And here I am announcing it to the whole internet, too. I'm out of control.

But enough about my bangs. Did I tell you they're fake?