Meet Babs- the Newest Addition to MD!

We have a new girl at work whose name is Barbara, but since her name implies someone much older than she is, I decided to call her Babs. She seems okay with it. Anyway, Babs is another lover of all things fashion and style, so of course she fits right in at Madeleine's. On Sunday, she came to work wearing the most adorable outfit that I snapped her photo the moment I saw her- literally. And I believe you'll agree with me that she looks just fabulous:

I'm dying to get myself over to Nordstrom to see if they have any of those tops left- it's just so fun! The high-low hem is too cool, especially when it's in motion. Unfortunately, the photo will never do it justice, but just know that it's as cool as it gets. I haven't coveted something in a looooooong time, but this top is pushing me to that point. 

I'm sure you'll see more of Babs on the blog in the future- she's pretty much always wearing an adorable outfit that's on-trend. Check back soon and as always, thanks for reading! 

How to Wear Rose Gold

Rose gold is everywhere these days. It's such a trendy metallic, but people have asked me, "How do I wear it? What goes with it?" The answer is simple: the easiest way to wear rose gold is with shades of pink! It's so feminine and sweet. Think of it as a monochromatic outfit- head-to-toe blush. It's quite pretty:

Rose Gold & Blush by rtboo featuring leather handbags

Rose gold is softer than yellow or white gold, so your outfit approach should be, too. Blush is a great color regardless of skin tone and rose gold only accentuates the positives of blush. But, if head-to-toe pink just isn't your bag, try one of these combinations:

Rose Gold Accent by rtboo featuring vintage dresses

In any case, the following are the Do's and Don't's of wearing rose gold:

- Do keep your look uncluttered and allow the rose gold piece to be the focal point or featured item in the outfit.
- Do feel free to mix in white or yellow gold in addition to the rose gold. Mixed metallics are perfectly fine, despite what your grandmother might try to tell you.
- Do avoid pairing rose gold with colors such as purple, burgundy or black- you can do better.
- Don't let this trend intimidate you! Go out and try it today!

Have a great day, everyone and thank you for reading!

It's Spring! Wear Some COLOR!!!

Whether temperatures agree or not, SPRING IS HERE! I'm determined to believe that, anyway. So, what better way to feel like the season, than by adding some color to your wardrobe? I've done plenty of posts encouraging you to wear head-to-toe color, but this time my aim is to incorporate it in small pops. That's basically Step 1 of incorporating bold color into your wardrobe and a great way to ease yourself into the idea.

I've done a little online shopping to help you find some fabulous pieces that, when added to an otherwise simple, neutral outfit can really add some pizzazz to your look. Try adding JUST ONE of these pieces to an outfit this week. You'll thank me!

Bold Gem Necklace, Banana Republic, $59.50

I love a bold, statement necklace, especially when it's in a fun color like this lemon yellow. 

Mint Rose Studs, Bauble Bar, $22

Not every splash of color needs to be huge- these simple mint studs add an unexpected hue to your outfit. Small in size doesn't always equal small impact. 

Linen Scarf, J. Crew, $49.50

I'm obsessed with this shade of blue- it's so rich and it really does flatter every skin tone. 

BCBG Paris Raquel Wedge Sandal, DSW, $69.95

What's better than a fuchsia wedge? Not much, lemme tell ya. 

For the beginner, try just one of these fun pieces. For the intermediate, try to find two colorful pieces that work together and for the advanced, try to put three boldly colored accessories on today. Just give it a whirl- pops of color can make an otherwise dull, uninspired outfit come to life! 

The Last of My Shopping Booty

I realized recently that I never got around to showing you the rest of my shopping booty from my trip to the North Shore Mall last week. You probably remember my amazing new oversized watch:

And my unbelievably adorable new dress: 

And my mint Converse: 

And of course, the new shoulder bag: 

Well, the rest of my shopping booty might seem a little anti-climactic after that. It's just a simple necklace and a pair of pink bauble earrings: 

I love the anchor necklace so much I've worn it almost non-stop since I got it. The earrings are adorable, too, of course.

I'm sure after seeing everything, you can understand why it was such a great shopping day for me! Let's hope the next one is just as successful! Have a great day, everyone!

Beauty Product Review Jaded by Sally Hansen

I was at work the other day and I was noticing how many people- coworkers and customers alike- were sporting cute shades of green and blue nail polish. I don't know what got into me, but on my way home from work that day, I swung into CVS and nabbed a new, fun, springy color. It's called "Jaded" and it's by Sally Hansen and it has that amazing brush that I talked about in this post.

I am very happy with the end result, but this color took three full coats in order to even begin to look opaque. In fact, it went on so thin on the first layer, I doubted whether or not I would be able to get an opaque look at all with it. Fortunately, by the third coat, things were looking up. Here's the end result:

Yup, that's Project Runway in the background. I was catching up on last week's episode while I painted my nails. P.S. Sorry for my gross cuticles. 

So, other than going on really sheer at first, I give this color a solid thumbs up for being bright, springy and just a little quirky and cute. 

Have you discovered an amazing new nail color? Leave a comment and tell me all about it! And in the meantime, thanks for stopping by and reading my blog! 

Rate My Look: Original Skirt Creation

Months ago, I was in Joann Fabrics and I saw this awesome orange print. It just so happened to be in the home decor section, specifically the fabrics made for outdoor furniture upholstery. But I loved it so much, I decided I didn't care what the fabric was intended for and I decided to buy a yard of it to make myself a fabulous skirt. I also bought a zipper and I went home and whipped it up. I paired it with a fabulous chiffon top that I already had and voila! Instant fabulous outfit!

I think I'll be careful not to wear this skirt to any backyard get-togethers. I'd hate to match someone's patio furniture. 

I love the exposed zipper detail and I lucked out that the top is the same shade of grey as the zipper. It' a perfect outfit for work- cool and fun, but still professional-looking. 

I think I'll shop the outdoor upholstery fabric section more often... 

Shoesday Tuesday: For the Guys

I realize that I tend to neglect the handful of male followers that I have on this blog, so in a small attempt to make it up to you, I've decided to do a Shoesday Tuesday blog post for GUYS!!! Ladies, keep on reading, you can always get some good ideas for shoes for your man. Enjoy!

Antonio Maurizi Naldo Double Monk Slip-On, DSW, $299.95

These bad boys are SLICK. 

Reef Men's Smoothy Sandal, DSW, $39.95

If you absolutely MUST wear a "man-dal," make it a simple, leather choice. 

Mike Konos Wallaby Oxford, DSW, $129.95

Rugged and cool. LOVE. 

On the whole, mens shoes can be quite dull, (at least in my opinion). Keep it interesting and look for something different the next time you're shopping for shoes! 

Have a great SHOESDAY TUESDAY, everyone! And as always, thanks for reading! 

Rate My Look: New Dress!

As you may or may not remember, I did a little bit of shopping last week and it was a magical trip. Every time I turned around, there was something fabulous in my line of vision. My credit card was smoking by the end of the day.

By far, my favorite purchase of the day came at the end of our trip when we popped into the Armani Exchange store. I'd held true to my "elevate" mantra throughout the day, not even considering items at fast fashion stores, or that I know isn't high enough quality. Armani Exchange was one of the last stores we visited and so many things were right in line with what I'm looking for right now- high quality garments that are well made and unique. That was where I found this dress:

I am completely obsessed with this dress- everything about it is awesome! The fit, the color, the details, the hem- I love it all! Speaking of the hem, you can't tell in this photo, but it's actually a high-low hem. Check it out: 

So cute!

I wore those little glitter booties while I was out shopping and if it weren't for that happy coincidence, I might never have thought to put them with this dress. They work SO well together, though! Things like that kind of make me have an "a-ha!" moment where I resolve to go through my entire closet and try to pair things up that I might not normally put together. 

Anyway, I love this dress so much that I wore it the very next day to work and then again on Easter Sunday. It's a perfect bright Easter dress! I wore different shoes, but other than that, my look was pretty similar. 

I think I may have even worn those shoes last Easter with another bright dress, but I'm not entirely sure. And no, I didn't wear anything on my head. I thought about wearing a fascinator of some kind, but not only did I not have anything quite right, but I think the dress is fabulous enough on its own, especially when paired with those amazing floral heels. 

Today I've got a very busy schedule that I'm excited about. I'll be heading over to a local middle school to speak at their career day event called "World of Work." I'm excited to share the story of my career- how I went from one job to another and all the valuable things I learned along the way. I also have a fun activity planned for the kids if there's enough time at the end of the session. It's a group of 7th graders, so wish me luck- they can be a tough crowd!

After my career day event, I'll be heading to the airport to hop on a plane and go see the Professor! I'm super excited to spend some time with him and the kids. I packed some cute outfits for while I'm down there, and I hope the weather cooperates and I don't end up running to the store for more cold-weather attire. I'll do my best to snap photos while I'm there, of course.

Well, enjoy the rest of your Monday, everyone and as always, thank you for stopping by and reading my blog!

Rate My Look: Amazing New Sunnies!

I am ALWAYS on the look-out for anything that might be unique, whether it be a pair of amazing shoes or a great dress, or even a new beauty product. So, you can understand my excitement when I came across these completely UNBELIEVABLE sunglasses at Forever 21 last week!

I was in Forever 21, which I've recently been avoiding since it doesn't exactly suit my whole "elevate" theme for 2013. But, while we were at the mall, Juhree dragged me into the store and I'm so glad she did because I got to buy these amazing sunnies! The color, the mirrored lenses, and especially the price-  6 bucks! Don't you love how funky and cool they are? 

Well, if you do and you think for one minute that I would abandon my "elevate" theme for a pair of plastic sunglasses, then... APRIL FOOLS!!! These sunnies are dumb. I do, however, like how you can see Juhree in the reflection of the mirrored lenses. 

Check back later for a REAL post!