Puppy Love and Pet Peeves

Jake insisted on making an appearance for the Valentines Day photo shoot.  And who am I to deny him his place in the spotlight?  It is pure puppy love!

 
Luckily we had a "dress down" day at school on Tuesday for Valentine's Day so I was able to be a bit festive with my clothing.  There are certain things I have to keep in mind while choosing an outfit for school though...

1. Will I be devastated if I get product on my outfit?  I work with various facial cleansers, lotions, clay masks, waxes and other messy things while I'm at school and chances are, I will be wearing some of it by the end of the day. I wasn't going to be devastated if I got product on any of the pieces and they are all machine washable - yay!
2. Will I be comfortable in this outfit while giving facials, providing waxing services and while walking around on a tile floor?  I love wearing skirts and dresses but they require a certain amount of awareness.  While giving a facial, it isn't my priority to make sure I'm sitting lady-like.  The leggings addressed that concern and kept me from inadvertently flashing anyone!
3. Is the outfit "salon professional" or comparable to what a client would expect to see if they were at a salon, day spa or professional skin care setting?  While I wouldn't wear this if I worked in a day spa setting, I felt like I could walk in to a salon and be right at home with this attire.  Although, I was surprised to see what others considered appropriate - not judging - ok, maybe I'm judging. 

Some general thoughts on dressing salon profesh: UGGs = Ugg! If your look makes Ke$ha look modest, reconsider! Hooded sweatshirts make a statement and that statement is "I didn't care enough to get dressed this morning."  A pink pajama shirt has its place, and it isn't at school.  If you walk in heels like both of your ankles are sprained, I have a hard time taking you seriously. --- That's all, rant over

Just joking, rant not quite over.  One final pet peeve:

No where in the word is there an "M" - I can't even tell you how I cringe when I hear "Happy Valentime's Day!" 

VAL - EN - TINE'S DAY

Say it with me now!

VAL - EN - TINE'S DAY!

 I'm terrible, I know. 

Outfit Details
Pink Dress: Merona via Target
Denim Jacket: Bacci via Ross
Black Leggings: Ann Taylor Loft
Black Belt: NY&Co
Blue Ballet Flats: Lindsay Phillips via Marshall's
Blue Hinged Watch: Charming Charlie

Nothin' Too Fancy

Black and a pinch of color from Charming Charlie!

Keeping within the dress code at school, I bring you an outfit of entirely black.  I really shouldn't complain too much about this.  A few years back the school had a dress code of ALL WHITE.  You heard me correctly... white!  I'm in school with people interested in careers the beauty industry, not future health care professionals.  Thankfully there was a student rebellion a few years ago and now we have a wide horizon of white and black!

Tuesday through Thursday we have theory (class) in the morning and then we see clients in the afternoon. I tend to keep it pretty simple on those days.  I dress for comfort and warmth.  But on Friday and Saturday we see clients all day long.  I try to dress it up a little by adding a splash of color or print with accessories.  Colors and patterns are permitted as long as they are kept to accessories.

I thought the bright blue watch would be a great addition to this all black ensemble.  It was one of the items I recently picked up at Charming Charlie.  Training as an esthetician includes having my hands in cleanser, lotion, moisturizer, wax, and other cosmetics all day long.  I also have many timed treatments through out the day so it is more important that I regularly wear a watch.  When I saw this hinged watch in bright blue I knew it would be a great way to add a dash of color to my limited wardrobe. Not only is it cute and sparkly, but the hinge allows me to remove the watch with out getting product all over the band... score!

Here is a close-up of my make up for the day - mind you the photos were taken after a full day at school.

The other thing about a limited wardrobe is that it really pushes me to be more creative with my hair and makeup. It is a small way to feel a little different in a sea of black lab coats.

Would there be any interest in cosmetic reviews or tutorials in the future? I don't claim to be a pro (yet) but I'd love to share some of the not-so great products I'm running across as I get further in to my learning. Let me know what you think!

Outfit Details
Black Dress: Fashion Bug
Black Leggings: kikaPaprika
Black Belt with Snake Detail: NY&Co
Black Patent Flats: Nicole via Ross
Blue Hinged Watch: charming charlie

Strawberry Shortcake

Were you a fan of Strawberry Shortcake as a child?  I loved everything about that wonderful smelling character.  This outfit reminded me of something she might have pulled out of the closet.



Link

This is one of the skirts I picked up on a recent trip to Goodwill.  I gravitated toward the pattern immediately.  The combination of pink, green and red is so festive and goes with so many things in my closet - yummy!  And at $5.99 for a DKNY City skirt, the price was right on the mark!

Outfit Details

Pink Tank: The Loft ($8)

Striped Skirt: DKNY City via Goodwill ($5.99)

Brown Nautical Wedges: Franco Sarto via Ebay ($10)

White Woven Belt: New York & Co via Ross ($5)

Necklace: Cookie Lee

Leather and Sivler Bangle: Cookie Lee



Wear No Black Week: Day 6 - Yellow and Grey and a Night at Naggiar

Day six of the Wear No Black Week challenge hosted by Urban Darling.

Our friends recently visited a winery off of the beaten path in Nevada County and had nothing but great reviews. They suggested we all head out to Naggiar Vineyards to enjoy some music and wine on Saturday night.  It was a beautiful evening in the foothills of Northern California.  The heat wasn't staggering, the music was nice and the scenery was fantastic. 

Knowing it would be pretty warm, I grabbed my flowy yellow top and grey cropped pants... and of course, my favorite yellow shoes!  I find that drinking white wine is always a safer option while wearing a light colored top so I had a crisp glass of blended white wine - La Contessa Sylvana.  The one on the left was the Barbera - also delicious!  I'd highly recommend the drive out the Naggiar Vineyards if you are looking for something to do on a Saturday night before the warm weather leaves us.  It is was definitely out of the way but the property is gorgeous and the wine is tasty.



2008 Barbera and 2009 La Contessa Sylvanna

How fantastic is this view?  There were children running up and down the hill by the lake, groups with picnic baskets enjoying their snacks, and couples dancing the the music.  I think I may have found a new favorite spot to enjoy summer evenings!

Outfit Details

Yellow Top: Gap Outlet

White Tank: Target

Grey Cropped Pants: New York & Co

Yellow Wedge Sandals: Steve Madden

Necklace: Cookie Lee

Bracelet: Beach Vendor in Cabo San Lucas

Wear No Black Week: Day 2 - Peaches and Denim

Day two of the Wear No Black Week challenge hosted by Urban Darling's Facebook page.

My first instinct was to pair my peach blouse with my brown skirt this morning.  Once I put it on, I realized it was just a boring substitution for black and I was hoping for something a little more lively than that.  The peach colored top with the blue in the denim did feel a little more interesting although not very creative.   

I went to my local Goodwill at lunch and found three awesome skirts.  I've decided I'm just not a huge fan of pants anymore.  They have their place and I'm not ready to toss them out but I just feel better when I wear a skirt.  Prettier, more feminine, put together, maybe even sassy. Back to the story... I went in to just look around and wound up with a black and white paisley (Jones New York) skirt that I intend to shorten by about 24 inches, a peach colored a-line skirt (can't remember), and a fantastic pink and green striped  number (DKNY).  For less than $15 I ended up with 3 skirts that are very different from any that I have in my closet.  I'll post pictures tomorrow because I'm just too tired to hang them up and take photos tonight!

Outfit Details
Peach Cowl Neck Top: Ross
Denim Skirt: Merona via Target
Sequined Sandals: Bass Outlet
White Woven Belt: NY & Co
Silver Necklace: Cookie Lee

Gingham and Birthdays

The weather forecast for June 28th was for rain and cooler temps so I didn't think twice about grabbing chinos and a button down shirt to keep myself properly covered for this unusually cool weather.  The look was a little drab with just the top and pants so I grabbed for the brightest belt I have.  I was pleased with how the look came together.  I did chuckle a little though when I pulled up my blog roll and found another snazzy lady rocking the blue gingham on her daily outfit post.


Lena - Erica - Tiffany

After work on Tuesday, I headed over to Blue Nami sushi to celebrate Erica's (my middle sister) birthday.  A little bit of rain freakin' down poor didn't stop us from enjoying family time and yummy sushi.  Lena, Erica and I are all Cancers.  Our birthdays are all within a week of each other - ok, so they are seven years younger, but who's counting?

Brooklynn and Momma


The great thing about having a baby around family gatherings is that there is never any lull what-so-ever - her entertainment value is priceless.  She is babbling, drinking water out of her sippy cup, trying to pull off my jewelry, playing drums on the table, and in general, being just about the cutest thing ever.

Baby B isn't afraid of going bold with colors!

Did I mention that she is a good sport? I'm the mean auntie that handed her a lemon wedge - it was hysterical. I wish we would have captured the squidgy face expression she had with the first taste.  Maybe I should feel bad about handing her something so sour but after the first time, she kept grabbing the lemon and putting it back in her mouth - still making a face each time of course!

Outfit Details
Blue Gingham Ruffle Buttondown: Old Navy
Grey Chinos: NY & Co
Pink Skinny Belt: Target
Black Flats: Nicole via Ross
Necklace: Cookie Lee

Imitation - Sincerest Form of Flattery

One of my favorite things about following other style bloggers is that I am constantly inspired to remix things I own in ways that I haven't thought of yet.  A few weeks ago as I was cruising through my blog roll and I stopped on Jessica's blog - Surely Sonsy - where I noticed that she was sporting a fantastic outfit featuring neutrals from top to bottom.  The other thing I noticed is that I own very similar pieces but had never worn them together.

Is this a serious lack of creativity on my part?

 OR

Is this me giving a nod to Jessica's sense of style by nearly copying her look piece for piece?

Either way, I was really happy with how the look came together and will happily continue copying being inspired by my fellow style bloggers!

By the way... my curling iron decided to die half way through styling my hair.  I don't think it was incredibly noticeable but there were a few pieces that didn't get the curl love the others received.

I am now on the search to find a great 1inch curling iron... any suggestions?

Outfit Details
Brown Sleeveless Top: Apt 9 via Kohl's
Cream Camisole: American Eagle Outfitters
Skirt: NY & Co. via my friend Lindsay
Brown Wedges: American Eagle via Payless - gift from my friend Trish

Not So Sure...

The jury is still out on this dress.  It was a great deal (we're talking less than $5 at one of those crazy Gap clearance sales) so it was too hard to pass up.  I've been toying with the idea of disassembling this dress and turning it into two pieces - a tank and a skirt.  I think both might be more flattering if they were separate.  I'm still unsure of what I'm going to do with this one.

Do you remember a few months back when I mentioned that we had a Style Dial party with my friend Amy from The Stylist Online?  I found out that I'm a #2 on the Style Dial and that means that my shoulders are narrower than my hips.  It is recommended that I avoid drop waists or wearing belts around my hips - wearing a belt on your hips can create the illusion that your hips are wider than in reality.  This dress definitely has a drop waist and the white belt was hitting my hips.  Despite the fact that I was ignoring two major pieces of advice, I kinda like the way the dress looks in the photos.  It didn't look nearly as frumpy as I was afraid it might - it can feel a bit like a potato sack while wearing it.   

Any thoughts?  Should I leave it a dress or create two pieces out of the dress???

Outfit Details
Red Tank Top: Merona via Target
Blue Pin Stripe Dress: Gap
White Woven Belt: NY&Co
Red White Blue Wedge Sandals: Gap via my sister Erica (Thanks sis!)
Necklace: Cookie Lee

An Easy Choice

Very little sleep, a ton of sun, and a few way too many adult beverages left me low on the creative juices.  After a long weekend in Las Vegas, I needed an outfit that didn't require a lot of thought.

I wore this outfit to work on Tuesday. It's possible I brought summer back to Northern California with me from Vegas because it was warm on my way out the door at 7:30 AM.  This top is great for the summer because it's a light weight cotton and completely airy.   While these flip-flops are a really fun design, they are not great for wearing all day.  Even though I've had them since 2002, the strap still digs in to my foot and they become uncomfortable if I walk around too much. But I do love the Geisha style heel so I can't bring myself to get rid of them.

I had an audience while I was taking photos.  It usually bothers me a little bit when others are staring while I'm doing outfit shots but this guy is usually quietly supportive while I'm doing my thing.

Jake the Wonder Dog

Outfit Details
Shirt: Fred David via Ross
Skirt: Merona via Target
White Woven Belt: NY&Co
Wooden Flip-Flops: Candies

Viva Las Vegas

Last weekend was the girls trip to Las Vegas.  We had a great time but I only managed to get a few usable pictures - strangers never seem to slow down long enough to steady the camera for a decent photo.  Outfit photos from the first day seem to be the only usable ones on my camera!

*This may be one of my favorite "less than $20 outfits" ever!

I love the pattern and the colors on this skirt.  I'm hoping to find a top with royal blue accents soon. The outfit was super comfortable for travel - even the wedge shoes were easy to wear for the whole day.

I'm going to check with my friends that were on the trip to see if there are any other photos worth sharing.  Is that a sign of a good trip when you don't slow down long enough to take many pictures?

Outfit Details
Embellished Tank Top - Old Navy ($3 - can you believe it?)
Skirt - Merona via Free Style ($2 - can you believe it?)
Wedge Sandals - Franco Sarto via Ebay ($9 - can you believe it?)
Belt - NY&Co via Ross ($5 - can you believe it?)

Black, White and a Little of the In Between

While I was on my unintentional bloggy-break I was still taking pictures with the best of intentions of posting them.  Have no fear, I did get dressed everyday even though I wasn't posting.

Looking back on the photos it appears as if I was on a color ban.  The strange thing is that I've really been trying to get more color in my wardrobe.  I've been diligent about picking up bright colors and fun patterns the past few times I've been shopping - but you can't tell from these pictures!

Top: Loft

Black Cropped Pants: Loft

Shoes: Carlos Santana via Ross

Bracelets: Cookie Lee

Top: Pure Energy via Target

Black Wide-Leg Cropped Pants: Larry Levine via Ross

Belt: NY&Co

Shoes: Anne Klein 

Earrings: Cookie Lee 

Top: eci via Macy's

Skirt: Sunny Leigh via Macy's
Belt: NY&Co

Black Flats: Nicole via Ross

Back in Black... and Floral

This outfit doesn't rank high on the creativity list but I'm so unsure of what to wear with this top.  The black, black and black seemed like a an easy enough choice for work.  Now that I think of it, I do have a pair of coral colored cropped pants... I'll have to pull those out and see how they look with the top.

I'm off to go to delicious Thai food with the boyfriend... Mmm, can't wait for some yummy coconut curry!

Outfit Details
Floral Kimono Top - NY Collection via Macy's
Black Lace Tank - Express
Black Pencil Skirt - New York & Co
Black Booties - Ann Marino via Marshall's

Monday, Monday

Oh Monday, you got me this time!  My dog decided to get up and shake around at 4:30, 5:00, 5:30 and then 3 minutes before my alarm went off.  I got caught in a time warp while trying to figure out what to wear. I didn't have any time to stop for caffeine on the way to work. And then I got a migraine half way through the day so I left work early, climbed in to bed and slept it off.  My head is still sore but I think I'll survive. 

The last time I wore this sweater was a Monday as well. Nothing like a loud sweater to try to pep up a Monday - only it didn't work this time!

I think this cheetah print sweater was made for this skirt. The outfit felt a like what Betty Paige might have worn if she was a conservative librarian. The white shirt felt a little bright under the sweater but I wanted the option of being able to remove the sweater if need be... we were expecting weather in the low 70's today and I didn't want to be stuck roasting away.  Check out Jessica from Surely Sonsy to see another take on animal print... This gal knows how to rock a pencil skirt like no other!

I would also like to welcome my bare legs to 2011. Thankfully my legs weren't quite as pasty white as I feared they might be.  My bare legs thought they wanted nylons for split second today but then they remembered the post we read on Facebook pertaining to an overheard fitting room conversation.  My friend heard a sales gal tell a younger woman that she should wear nylons under a cute sun dress and my friend was appalled at the advise. The debate over bare legs versus nylons took off from there.  What do you think?  Are Nylons off limits to ladies under 60?

Outfit Details
Cheetah Cardigan: FWM via Freestyle Clothing Exchange
Skirt: Sunny Leigh via Macy's
White T-Shirt: Gap
Quilted Slingbacks: Anne Klein via TJ Maxx
Wide Elastic Belt: New York & Co

RIP Nylons... Literally!

Uh-Oh, I got a runner in my pantyhose!

EveryBody EveryWear - Polka Dots

It is time for another installment of Everybody Everywear and this month's theme is polka dots.  This is a project created by Liz from 26 And Counting and Linda from The Auspicious Life as a way for style bloggers to show how a wardrobe staple can be worn in so many different ways.  Previous themes included the Blazer, Breton Stripes and gingham.

Bust A Move

What is the first thing you reach for when there are limitless options in front of you?  What do you yearn for after only have access to 30 items for a while?  Apparently the answer is jeans and a white t shirt and the most comfy sweater you own.  I know, not the most original.  And what do you do after you put on that outfit, you work on your stellar dance moves!

#27 & 28 - Oh, The Pain!

 

#27 - Items 5, 15, 22, 28 --- #28 - Items 2, 15, 22, 29



#22 - One Ouftit, Four Looks

Items 18, 24, 30

#20 - Rushing, Chewing, Snoring and Snagging

Items 1, 18, 29

#18 - Designing Women

Items 2, 10, 28