Polka Dots and Leopard Print + Link-Up

Ahh, I had such a wonderful and relaxing weekend!  What about you?  On Friday I threw a monster-themed baby shower for one of my best friends.  The rest of the weekend I spent passing out Halloween candy and relaxing with my handsome guy.  My one complaint?  That the weekend isn't longer!  I'm not ready for it to be Monday just yet.

Although I suppose Monday feels a little better with the help of a cute outfit and some pattern mixing!  Do you have a better day when you feel really good about what you're wearing, too?

While my favorite pattern mixing combination is leopard print with stripes, this fun animal print paired with polka dots is a close second!  I think it's the ease with which these patterns come together that makes the combinations so great.  Especially when you're working with black and white stripes or polka dots, you don't even have to wonder if leopard print will go, it's a no-brainer (and let's face it, we all need those when we're getting ready for work on a Monday morning).

Are you interested in seeing a couple of other ways to pair polka dots with leopard print?  Head over to Carrie and Casey's blogs to see how they mixed their patterns today!

What I'm Wearing:

Shirt: Express (exact)

Cardigan: Target (similar)

Necklace: Amazon (exact)

Skirt: Land's End (similar, similar)

Tights: Nordstrom (exact)

Flats: LOFT (similar, similar)

And don't forget to link-up the remainder of your Create28: Fall Looks or anything else you want to show off below!

Create28: A Summer Skirt Look

I LOVE skirts. But for some reason, skirts don't typically end up in my closet. I confessed in this post that I had never owned a pencil skirt before!!! Because my lifestyle is so casual (3 young kids), I think I tend to shy away from skirts because I feel like they are "too dressy." However, last year I purchased this cargo-type skirt at Loft and I really love it! It totally fits my casual lifestyle and is a great alternative to shorts in the spring and summer.

I can just throw on this skirt with a  casual tee and sandals and I am just as comfortable in it as I would be in shorts or jeans. Plus, it has pockets so that's always a HUGE plus!! If you're looking for a casual skirt, here are some great options:

Once in awhile though, I am glad I have my pencil skirt for more dressy occasions. But you know me, I can never go toooooo dressy! In this post, I dressed down my pencil skirt with a denim vest  and casual wedges ~

Here I dressed down the same skirt with a simple graphic tee....but I did add heels and bling, though...FANCY, right??!!!

Skirt: c/o Shabby Apple (exact)

Get Your Pretty On Tee - proceeds from the sale of this shirt go to the Pretty Strong foundation to help women undergoing cancer treatment. Click HERE for the shirt (TONS of options!)

I absolutely love this skirt from Shabby Apple! Their quality is top notch and they have the most ADORABLE skirts and dresses! You can see all of my Shabby Apple faves in this post.

Click here and use the code BLUES for 15% off all Shabby Apple skirts and dresses!

The more I try skirts, the more I warm up to them. Are you a "skirt person??" What are your favorite types of skirts? Here is more summer skirt inspiration!

Follow A Little Bit of Cheer's board Summer Skirts on Pinterest.
 
Join Carrie here tomorrow when she talks about summer layering. I can't wait to see her look! Don't forget to enter the raffle for a $75 Gift card!!

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Create28: Remixing a Summer Piece

Remixing is one style trick that allows you to extend pieces throughout seasons and create new looks easily. Although I like to remix my pieces, I can sometimes have a creative block and get into a rut where it is way too easy to grab the same few items over and over again. If I take a few moments and plan ahead I am more likely to remix my looks. My example of remixing is my little striped dress. I do believe that a black and white striped dress can be a great staple in your wardrobe, I have yet to find one that I like. It's one of those elusive pieces for me. Since blue has become a go-to color in my wardrobe I'm using a white and blue striped dress as a basis for my remix.

After starting with the basic dress, I simply looked in my closet for a piece that would allow me to remix the dress and create a different look. The blouse I chose has the same basic colors but an opposite print. Since I'm remixing, I thought I would add a little pattern mixing too. Creating visual interest and variety continues to keep your wardrobe fresh.

By adding an untucked blouse and belt, the dress takes on a whole new look. It appears to have a look of a jacket and gives a professional flair to the ensemble.

Next, I simply removed the belt and tied the shirt tales to create a put together look with a more casual vibe.

dress/ON {similar, similar} blouse/the limited {similar, similar} shoes/dsw {similar, similar}

I kept the accessories minimal for this look because there is a lot going on with patterns, belting and tying. I actually tried to add a necklace but it just looked out-of-place.

This is a three-fer type of look. Using two pieces and a few accessories, three outfits were created. Did you notice the shoes remained the same? This was actually a really simple look and I'm sure you can do the same by just perusing your own closet a little bit.

One of my blogger friends, Alex {Undergraduate Style} created a board for remixing. Hope you'll check it out for more inspiration.

Follow Alex Welch's board Remixaholics on Pinterest. 

 Tomorrow Whitney's here with her favorite jewelry. She's a Rockbox girl and should have some lovely pieces to share. Please keep reading to see our favorites and most clicked from last week...and be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of the post! Last week our link-up grew! We were excited to see it grow. Feel free to spread the word to your friends, too. We loved seeing your looks on Instagram too. #Create28Summer Looks. We each chose a favorite look from the link-up last week. Here's our reveal our favorites and the most clicked. 

Sandy, at Sandy a la Mode, you stole our hearts with a picture perfect look and that baby...we were just gushing! Morgan, at Pampers & Pearls rocked the crop top and culottes with confidence. Jess, at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish pulled off all white with perfection. Good job, ladies! Hope to see you back again this week. The most clicked was Katie at The Mishaps and Mayhem of a Solitary Life. She also rocked the all white with a little pop of color in just the right way. 

 

It's time to share your looks from last week. Link 'em up ladies! We can't wait to see your lovely looks! Be sure to scroll all the way down to enter the giveaway, friends!

An InLinkz Link-up

   

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Where I'm linking up.

This Skirt Again

Do you ever go through phases when you just can't get enough of a certain clothing item?  Oh good, me too!  Right now I can't stop wearing this skirt!  I love that the polka dots add a fun feminine touch.  At the same time, the dots are so small and the skirt is grey so it works as a wonderful neutral base to an outfit.  (And the elastic waistband doesn't hurt.)

I went with a neutral and lace look for this outfit by adding a white lace top, grey tights, grey and lace shoes, and a pearl necklace (of course).  I think the overall look is soft and feminine and I love it!

I'm participating in some fun link-ups today!  One of my link-ups is with the Modern Austen for the Pantone-Inspired Color Challenge (I'm wearing Paloma).  I'm also linking-up at Greater Than Rubies for a "one piece many ways" challenge.

What I'm Wearing:
Shirt: Loft (exact)
Skirt: Loft (exact)
Necklace: Simply Charming Boutique (similar, similar)
Tights: Anthropologie (exact)
Shoes: Gift (exact)

Linking-Up:
The Brandied Pair and Style of One's Own- Sit-Down Style Sessions

Mix It Monday: Polka Dots in the Stripes

What a lovely Monday morning!  I am just two days away from Spring Break freedom AND I am so excited to be co-hosting my first ever link-up with Lauren from Fizz and Frosting!  Welcome to Mix It Monday!
 

I just love this top so much!  It has all of my favorite details: the color pink, stripes and polka dots.  I mean, come on, polka dots in the stripes?  How much better can it get?  I know that I just wore it last week, but I received so many lovely compliments that I decided to remix the top for this week's Mix It Monday.

Floral scarfs are such an easy way to add springy details when you still need to layer-up a bit.  And a striped top with a floral scarf is an easy formula for pattern mixing!  To make sure it works, I usually pick a scarf that shares a color with the striped top.

This skirt is another one of my new favorite pieces because it features a fun polka dot print but the print is so subtle, that it can act as a neutral.  I can't wait to wear it into the summer months and then in the cooler weather with tights!

Floral and stripes and polka dots, oh my!

And here is how I wore this top before: paired with bright and pastel colors in shades of blue and pink!  Which look do you prefer?  How should I wear this top next?

What I'm Wearing:
Top: Loft (exact)
Scarf: Lou Lou (splurge, similar)
Skirt: Loft (exact)
Shoes: Lindsay Philips (similar)
   Fizz & Frosting (Bloglovin') / Whitney A La Mode (Bloglovin') Linkup Rules:

1. Follow your host Fizz and Frosting (via Bloglovin' or Instagram) and your co-host, Whitney of Whitney A La Mode (via Bloglovin' or Instagram)
2. Share a post, showing how you remixed an item - a top, skirt, jeans, purse, shoes -- it's completely up to you! Want to share a collage? Go for it!
3. Link back to this post with a text link or by sharing the linkup button!
4. We'd love for you to tweet using #MixItMon so we can help promote your posts!

Want to co-host in the future? Please email Lauren at lauren@fizzandfrosting.com and use the subject MIX IT MONDAYS!

Brights + Pastels

Good morning, lovelies!  Today I'm participating in another Remix, Rewear, Restyle at Caitlin's blog, Greater Than Rubies.  This week Caitlin has challenged us to put an outfit together featuring bright and pastel colors.  To be quite honest, I've never put much thought into combining these two color groups.  Maybe I've done it before, maybe I haven't, I just never thought about it.  And that's what I love about personal style blogs: I am encouraged to think about my clothes in new and creative ways!

I am by no means an expert in the field of mixing brights and pastels but I will tell you how I managed to combine these color families without looking like there was too much going on.  First, I picked two contrasting colors to work with, pink and blue.  My foundation pieces, the pants and the top are my brights.  I used my pastel pieces, the necklace, blazer and shoes, to pull the contrasting colors together without blinding those who looked at me with too much bright.

 Umm, by the way, pink + stripes + polka dots in the stripes = my new favorite shirt.

What I'm Wearing:

Shirt: Loft (exact)

Blazer: Gap (exact)

Necklace: Simply Charming Boutique (similar, similar)

Pants: Loft (similar, similar)

Oxfords: DSW (similar, similar)

Linking-Up:

Basic Training Corporate Style- Fashionably Employed
DC In Style- Monday Bloom

Fizz and Frosting- Mix It Monday

Greater Than Rubies- Remix, Rewear, Restyle
Just Another Smith, Brynnash, and A Journey in Style- Floral Week 
Perfectly Coutured and Everyday Fashion and Finance- Three-fer Thursday

Style Elixir- Style Sessions

The Style Record- Style Must Haves
Vodka Infused Lemonade- Tres Chic Fashion Thursday

Post-Christmas Plaid

As you've probably noticed, it has been quite cold in recent months, making a cozy, plaid shirt a desirable outfit option.  However, I know that I often associate plaid shirts with the holidays...particularly this red and green plaid shirt.  My lovely best friend owns this same shirt and recently asked for tips to wearing it after the holidays and into the (chilly) spring.

Here is one way to de-holiday a particularly festive plaid shirt (or any plaid shirt for that matter).

Pattern-mixing is a always a fun way to add interest to an outfit!  By adding a boldly-patterned sweater layered over your plaid shirt, you make the plaid a little bit more subtle.  I think that a stripes would look great with plaid as well!

Another way to take your favorite plaid shirt into the spring is to find a lighter accent color in the shirt and to play it up!  For example, there is a bit of mint green (so popular this spring) running through this shirt.  I could layer a mint sweater over top of the plaid or I could wear some mint skinny jeans to really accentuate the springy hue.

Do you have any other tips for taking your favorite plaid shirt into the warmer seasons?

What I'm Wearing:

Shirt: Old Navy (similar, similar)

Sweater: Target (similar, similar)

Necklace: Simply Charming Boutique (similar, similar)

Pants: Gap (similar, similar)

Shoes: Lindsay Philips (similar)

Linking-Up With:

Delusions of Grandeur- Favorite Fashion Friday

Perfectly Coutured and Everyday Fashion and Finance- Three-fer Thursday

Vodka Infused Lemonade- Très-Chic Fashion Thursday