My Birthday Best

Attention, attention: We interrupt your typical Friday programming to wish a very happy birthday to the one-and-only Ada of Elegance and Mommyhood!  If you haven't met Ada, pop on over to her blog!  She is a vivacious woman with a passion for blogging, fashion, poetry and her daughter, Vivian.  Each year on her birthday, she hosts a blog party of sorts.  She invites a few blogging buddies to style our favorite dresses and then we all post on May third and fourth to celebrate the big day!

Here is a message from Ada, herself:

Every year that I have been blogging, since I became a mom, I thought it would be fun to have a Blog Birthday Party on my blog, including other fashionistas and blogging friends. It started in 2013 and this is the 6th year of this fun birthday tradition. When I first started it in 2013 as a beginner, I invited my closest 5-6 blogging buddies who came to visit, read and comment my blog on a daily basis. Over the last 3 years this fun party has grown and it has become a two-day celebration. This year I am joined by another 20 fashionistas who I am lucky to call my friends and who are all super stylish to boot. A lot of these ladies have been celebrating my birthday with me on the blog other years too and I am very glad and flattered to see them return. Thank you beauties for making this tradition super fun, joyful and fashionable once again! Cheers with a Pinot Noir! Here is to another year of getting older and hopefully wiser!

It's a good thing our Michigan weather warmed-up just in time for the birthday party!  Actually, I've worn a dress or skirt each day this because it feels so good to not be stuck in pants or tights.

When I saw this dress from Modcloth in early March, I knew I had to have it even though it wasn't currently available for purchase.  Luckily, Modcloth has this handy feature that allows you to sign-up for e-mail alerts on specific items so that you're notified when they are back in stock.  As soon as I received my alert, you better believe it took only a matter of minutes to add to my shopping cart!

I kept my initial styling classic.  I wore the dress with a denim jacket to work but then I let the stripes be the star of the show for dinner and drinks on the patio.  Neutral wedges, simple gold jewelry and a fun clutch complete the look.

Speaking of a fun clutch, I picked this colorful one up at a local boutique the other day and wanted to showcase it for the first time on Ada's birthday.  Ada is originally from Albania but currently lives in Michigan!  I actually met her in person a few years ago.

So friends, that's it for me today!  Make sure to stop-by to wish Ada a happy birthday and I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

What I'm Wearing:
Dress: Modcloth (exact)
Short Necklace: c/o AUrate (exact)
Long Necklace: Loft (exact)
Clutch: local boutique (exact)
Wedges: Nordstrom (similar, similar)


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Dressing for Spring When it Feels Like Winter

Salut, mes amis!  I'm double-posting today, here and at The Blended Blog, where I'm sharing my style struggles lately.  I want to dress for spring but it still feels like winter outside.  Are you in the same chilly boat?  Well then take a peek at my six tips on dressing for spring when it feels like winter.  You'll find three of them here and the other three at TBB.

Find a Spring Jacket You're Excited to Wear

I don't just mean find a jacket you like, I mean find a jacket that you absolutely can't wait to wear!  It can be frustrating that we still have to layer-up, but with a fun spring coat, extra layers will feel fun.  I purchased this utility jacket from the Gap a few years ago and still get excited to pull it out every spring.  Here are a few of my picks for this spring!

Rotate Purses

I don't buy purses terribly frequently anymore but when I do, I like to buy something that is good quality like my Cambridge Satchel.  My secret to keeping my bags nice and not getting sick of them, is that I only use them for a season and then tuck them away for the rest of the year.  This particular purse is my warm-weather bag and I get excited to see it every spring!  I'm content to use this beauty for another season but if you want a new purse, here a few that are fun for spring!

Pick a Spring Print

While I believe that you can wear whatever you want whenever you want to, there are definitely prints that make you think of a particular time of year -- like plaid for fall and the holidays.  This time of year, I like to start wearing warm-weather prints like floral and gingham.  I especially like to find these prints in colors that are still a bit wintery to really work through this transitional weather.  Here are a few printed pieces to take you from winter to spring!

What sorts of things are you wearing this time of year?  I would love a few more tips to get me through the next few weeks!  And make sure to link-up below with The Blended Blog!

Minnie Mouse à la Mode

I thought about titling this post, "What to Wear in Orlando," but then I realized that I didn't have much to add that you probably don't already know yourself:

1. wear light, breathable, clothing
2. walking shoes that are comfy and cushioned are a must
3. cross-body bags make for hands-free amusement park fun
4. you'll want to wear sunglasses unless you want a headache from squinting
5. suncreen!  suncreen!  sunscreen!

While I don't have many unique tips on dressing for a Disney vacation, I can share with you what I wore and loved during my Orlando trip in February.

I've been packing for trips with a capsule mentality for about a year now (check-out my springtime in Europe and my summer in Belgium posts).  One of my favorite perks of packing this way is feeling like I have a cohesive style throughout my trip.  So, even though this wasn't a long trip and I didn't really need layers (which help so much in remixing capsules), I decided that I wanted all of my Orlando outfits to be in the same color scheme and have the same vibe.

For each capsule, there's usually an item that sparks my inspiration.  This time, I built my capsule around these Minnie Mouse Keds.  I am notorious for making poor shoe decisions that I regret halfway through the day and I was determined not to do so for this trip.  I love my other pairs of Keds so I knew that these would be comfortable and provide lots of cushion to make standing in long lines a bit more bearable.  Plus, if you can't wear whimsical shoes at the Magic Kingdom, when can you??

Want your own pair of Minnie Mouse Keds?  I found a bunch of cute pairs on Amazon like mine but in red, these cute lace-ups, and this more subtle pair.

What I'm Wearing:

Dress: My Sister's Closet (exact)

Crossbody Purse: Old Navy (similar)

Sneakers: Keds (exact)

And since I'm finally on top of publishing a style post on a Wednesday, don't forget to link-up with The Blended Blog!

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Travel Capsule: Springtime in Europe- Outfits Six and Seven

Well we've made it to the final installment of my European travel capsule!  In case you missed it, I took ten items of clothing with me on a trip through Italy, Switzerland and France in April and loved every outfit I created.

Introduction and Outfit One

Outfits Two and Three

Outfits Four and Five

For our very last day in Paris, I brought out the striped dress from day one in Venice!  I made it a little more sporty this time with a pair of Converse instead of loafers and my utility jacket instead of the floral scarf.

And last but not least, a travel outfit!  Although I have to admit, I wore this on the way to Europe, not on the way home.  These pictures were taken after an eight-hour flight to Amsterdam so please excuse the wrinkles and the groggy expression.

I also have to admit that this polka dot tee (from LOFT outlet) was not listed in my Introduction post.  When I originally created the capsule, I had the scarf in the "extras" category and this t-shirt on the list.  But when I went to write that post, I totally forgot about it!

I actually think that I could have created more than seven outfits with these ten pieces (a few of them were only used once)!  But ultimately I only need seven outfits for this trip.  Which was your favorite?

And while you're here, link-up your latest fashion posts with The Blended Blog!

Travel Capsule: Springtime in Europe- Introduction and Outfit One

I'm so excited to be kicking-off this series today because, in writing these posts, I'm getting to relive my spectacular Spring Break trip!  In early April, I took a group of twenty-one students, parents and teachers from my district on a European vacation.  It was a big (and sometimes stressful) undertaking but the trip went off without a hitch and everyone had a wonderful experience.  We traveled through Italy, Switzerland and France.  I got to visit places I've never before seen and I got to experience the magic of Paris through the eyes of my students who were seeing it for the first time!

While preparing for this trip, I challenged myself to create a travel capsule wardrobe.  We were constantly on the move so this capsule helped me to pack light while always feeling put-together.  The trouble with traveling in Europe during spring is the unpredictability of the weather.  Not to mention we were traveling to several locations across the continent!  Being prepared for all weather conditions was a priority as was dressing comfortably because we were often on our feet all day.

Here is what I brought with me for my travel capsule wardrobe:

1.  blue and white striped dress (similar)
2.  navy floral sleeveless top (exact)
3.  navy peplum sleeveless top (exact)
4.  light pink sweatshirt (similar but short-sleeved)
5.  mustard cardigan (similar)
6.  floral scarf (exact)
7.  skinny jeans (exact)
8.  boyfriend jeans (exact)
9.  coral loafers (similar)
10.  white converse (exact)

Extra #1: coral jacket (exact)
Extra #2: navy bag (exact)

In coming-up with this lineup, I started with a color scheme: coral and navy.  From there I chose basics that would mix and match but with some fun details like stripes and floral prints (so I didn't feel too bored).

Here is the first outfit I created from my list of ten items!

I wore this during our day trip to Venice, Italy.  The knit dress was the perfect weight for a sunny day in Northern Italy.  I mostly wore the scarf for show but it did come in handy on the chilly ferry ride to the city.  And these loafers!  They are from Old Navy so I was a bit worried about how comfortable they would be, but they were perfect for a day of sightseeing!

I also have to note that I found the most perfect travel bag!  I wanted a cross body bag for security purposes, something big enough to hold the paperwork I had to carry, and something chic that would go with the other items in my capsule.  I found this awesome messenger bag from eBags.com and it comes in a few other colors and prints.  I would highly recommend it if you are in the market for a travel bag.

I hope you are as excited as I am for the continuation of this series!  I will also be posting reviews of the actual trip and you will find my Italy installment tomorrow.  And while you're here, link-up your latest style post with The Blended Blog below.

New Year Styled: Striped Dress + Link-Up

After wrapping-up the year with our December Cozy Series, it's time for a new style theme for our Wednesday link-ups with The Blended Blog!  For the next two months we will be focusing on a New Year Styled.  You can interpret this prompt a couple of different ways.  One option is to style the new year's latest trends.  The other direction you can go is in styling your already-loved pieces in new and exciting ways!

I have just embarked on a Shop Free for Three Challenge with my friend, Carrie.  What does that mean?  I will not be shopping for clothing, shoes or accessories for the next three months!  This is going to be quite the challenge for me!  That being said, I'm interpreting our prompt the second way and I'm excited to get back to some good remixing!

For each week of this series, I will choose an outfit from this time last year.  I will then pick one item from that outfit and remix it to create a new ensemble!  Here is my first attempt!

You may recognize this outfit as being my favorite post from January of last year!  I absolutely love the dress that I featured.  I'm a sucker for anything striped and I love the pretty, green color.  Not to mention the ponté fabric is super comfortable!  For my remix, I wanted to do something a little more interesting than just adding a cardigan (my go-to way to wear this dress).  So I added a sweatshirt to create a skirt and top look!

Another change I made was going with navy as my neutral instead of black.  The stripes in this dress can really look like either depending on which neutral you choose!  Throw in a little bit of pattern mixing and voilà!

So what are you looking forward to doing this winter?  Remixing what you've got in your closet or jumping into the seasons latest trends?  Either way I hope you will join us by linking-up below and every single Wednesday for the next couple of months!

What I'm Wearing:

Dress: Old Navy (similar, similar)

Sweatshirt: LOFT (similar, similar)

Tights: Nordstrom (similar, similar)

Shoes: Amazon (exact)

Blogging Besties: Rhyming

Blogging Besties is a weekly series featuring Whitney of Whitney à la mode, Alex of Undergraduate Style, Maricel of ::My Closet Catelogue:: and Selah of A Bibliophile's Style.  Each week, one of the bloggers will choose one component from the previous week's outfit to pass on in a brand new look.  This "take one, pass it on" challenge is an inspiration to stretch your closet and your imagination!

Last week, Selah looked beautiful in an outfit perfect for spring!  She gave me these prompts from which to work: asymmetrical hem, pearls, coral, floral or a rhyming outfit.

I love a good closet challenge so I knew immediately that I wanted to create a rhyming outfit.  This is easier said than done, though.  I walked around for days thinking thoughts like, "Alright, I wear a lot of tassels.  What rhymes with tassels?  Castles!  I don't have any clothes with castles on them.  On to polka dots!  What rhymes with polka dots?"  This went on and on until I finally found my rhyming ensemble!

Lovelies, I present to you "Striped and Typed!"

Once I had the rhyme, then I had to actually create the outfit.  This was a bit of a challenge because most of my striped items are either tops or dresses and all of my typed pieces are tops.  A girl needs to wear some bottoms!

Alas, I tried the trick of wearing a top over a dress to create a top + skirt effect.  Oftentimes I find that this doesn't work due to the proportions of the pieces but I lucked out this time!

I feel that the vibe of this outfit is very preppy in an "I summer in the Hamptons and play lots of tennis" kind of a way.  I have no actual basis for this opinion given I've never summered in the Hamptons but I felt very posh all day.  Ha!

Alright Alex, here are your prompts for next week: striped, typed, a top over a dress, Chucks or preppy!

What I'm Wearing:
Sweatshirt: Banana Republic (similar, similar)
Dress: Old Navy (similar, similar)
Converse: DSW (exact)

Create28: Fall Neutrals

There's something about an all-neutral ensemble that feels very soothing to me.  Perhaps it's the ease at which basic, classic pieces come together.  Or maybe it's simply the absence of bold, in-your-face colors.  In any case, fall tends to be the time of year that I'm most drawn towards neutrals.  Actually, many of my Create28: Fall Looks have been completely (or mostly) neutral (here, here, here and here).

I absolutely adore this outfit because it features three of my favorite style pieces: a striped dress, a chambray shirt and cognac accessories.  I feel timeless, put-together, pretty and comfortable!

You might be thinking that these pictures look extra special, and you're right!  They were professionally photographed by the lovely and talented Jill Knight of Jillography Wedding and Lifestyle Photography.  And my outfit is just one in the group of neutral ensembles worn by my family members for a fun, fall family photo shoot!

My family and I were inspired by this pin and we thought that neutral pieces in classic patterns would be easy for each member of the family to find (not to mention easily coordinated).  It turns out that neutrals come together simply-- whether it be in one outfit or many!  We absolutely love how our photos turned out!  What do you think of the family neutral look?  For more family photos (and the rest of Jill's beautiful portfolio), click here!

Luckiest aunt in the world with my little love!

We hope you are having just as much fun wearing the Create28: Fall Looks as we are and we're in the home stretch!  Check back tomorrow because Casey will be sharing her long cardigan looks.  And don't forget to share your looks on Insta (#Create28FallLooks) and at our link-up on Monday!

 

What I'm Wearing:

Chambray: Old Navy (exact)

Dress: Old Navy (similar, similar)

Belt: Target (similar, similar)

Flats: Target (exact)

A Classic Piece and the LLALM Link-Up

What is the quintessential classic piece to have in your closet?  A little black dress?  A white button-down? A pair of nude pumps?  I think the concept of a classic piece can mean something different to each of us depending on our personal style and lifestyle.  For me, I would consider leopard print flats and a denim jacket to be classic and staple pieces in my wardrobe.  But the garment that I want to talk about today is a black and white striped dress.  Combine neutral stripes with a flattering fit-and-flare style and you have a classic piece, in my book!

I love black and white stripes because they can be combined with a seemingly limitless number of patterns and colors.  Plus a simple dress can be paired with so many cute pairs of shoes, belts, tights and completer pieces!

With a classic piece, it's sometimes fun to have a bit of unique detailing and I think I've found that in the contrasting stripes of this dress.  Even with this special touch, I've been able to wear this dress so many different ways!  Here are a few of my favorites looks!

What is your most classic wardrobe item?  Make sure to pop over and visit Carrie and Casey to see the pieces that they've chosen!  And now it's time for our Lovely Little à la Mode Link-Up!

What I'm Wearing:

Dress: LOFT (similar, similar)

Cardigan: Banana Republic Outlet (similar, similar)

Belt: Target (similar, similar)

Flats: LOFT (similar, similar)

Birthday Dresses and Wishlists

When the month of May rolls around, I find that the sun shines a little brighter and the flowers smell a little sweeter.  Because spring has truly arrived, you ask?  Well, perhaps, but it's also my birthday month!  I don't turn a year wiser until the 28th but I love the entire month, nonetheless!

Do you know who else has a birthday this month? My sweet friend Ada of Elegance and Mommyhood!  Every year, Ada picks a few of her blogging friends to style a special birthday dress look for her to feature on her blog.  I'm so excited that I'm one of the chosen few this year...especially because I love a good birthday dress!

I chose a relaxed yet pretty ensemble, perfect for a fun evening out with friends and family!  Wearing a maxi dress made of jersey material is a great way to look feminine while staying super comfortable.  A denim jacket is one of my springtime staples because it's cute and easy to throw-on when a the weather is a bit too chilly for a dress alone.  Finally, something sparkly is a must for a perfect birthday look and these sandals fit the bill!

With my own birthday coming-up, I've got a birthday list on my mind!  My trusty tote bag that I bring to school with me every day is beginning to wear-out and I've been itching to upgrade to a sleek, leather bag.  I really like the three below.  Which one do you like the best?  

Madewell        J.Crew        Nordstrom

Here are a few other things I've been thinking about.  My favorite singer of all time, Jewel, just released a line of shirts featuring some of her lyrics and I'm in love with the one below.  I've also been  admiring the clothing from Boden for quite sometime but it's a little bit out of my price range.  Perfect for a birthday list, right?  And finally, I wear my leopard-print flats so much that a pair of similar heels might be a future closet staple for me!  What do you have on your wish list currently?

Jewel        Boden        Sole Society

What I'm Wearing:
Dress: Land's End (similar, similar)
Jacket: Hand-Me-Down (similar, similar)
Flats: Target (exact)