It's My Birthday And I'll Dress Up If I Want To

Jacket: Aqua, old, similar

Dress: Jack by BB Dakota (on sale!)

Clutch: Banana Republic, old

Shoes: Jean-Michel Cazabat, old, similar

Necklace: Bauble Bar, old

Bracelets: Bauble Bar (sold out, here, here, sold out)

I hope everyone had a great week!  Sorry for missing Wednesday's post.  With all of the crazy snow here in Atlanta, I actually didn't make it back home until yesterday after leaving work on Tuesday.  Big thanks to my friend who let me stay at her house until it was safe to drive back home.  The weekend warm up can't come quickly enough!

Today is my birthday and I'm excited to celebrate this weekend with family and friends.  I'm going to dinner with friends tonight and this is the outfit I'm going to wear.  You may remember this dress from here and here.  Obviously I took these pictures before the snow, when I was trying to figure out the best birthday outfit.  I might have to switch out the shoes for tonight so I don't slip on any leftover ice!

Have a great weekend!  

Pop of Color

Dress: Shoshanna

Shirt: Banana Republic

Necklace: Bauble Bar

Belt: Loft, similar

Tight: Hue

Shoes: Zara, similar

Bag: Coach, old

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  I snapped a few pictures on my way to work last week.  Even though it looks sunny, I put my coat on right after I took these.  I can't wait for all of this cold weather to go away!!  

I was very skeptical when I tried this dress on at the Saks after Christmas sale (my favorite sale of the year!), but figured why not try it on since I was already taking my clothes off :).  Famous last words.  This ended up being one of the few pieces I bought.  I love the color and it is a great basic dress that I dressed up with my leopard belt and great necklace from Bauble Bar.  

I was also excited to hear that Banana Republic redesigned their non-iron shirts since I didn't love the fit of the old ones.  They fit too loose under the arms.  The new re-design is great as it skims the body without any excess fabric or spaces anywhere.  I'm wearing the petite version, which was the perfect length for me, even though I'm normally on the border between petite and regular sizes.  

Have a great day!

Black, White, & Spots

Top: Rebecca Taylor (on sale!)

Turtleneck: J. Crew

Jeans: MiH via Nordstrom Rack

Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti (higher heel version) - on sale!

Necklace: Bauble Bar

Bracelets: Bauble Bar (here, here, here)

Rings: Bauble Bar

Happy Friday!! I've haven't been this ready for the weekend in a while.  Looking at these pictures make me miss the warmer weather of last weekend.  It is downright frigid right now!!  

Everyone knows I love a great sale, and after Christmas is one of my favorite sales.  I always get the best deals during that time.  I picked up these shoes and this top after Christmas.  I've loved these shoes since seeing them on Blair of the amazing blog, Atlantic-Pacific.  I was so excited to find them in a lower heel since GZ heels don't fit my feet as well as some other brands.  I'm willing to suffer a little for these heels though!  And this top first caught my eye while I was in the Rebecca Taylor store, but I couldn't justify paying full price for it and hoped to find it on sale.  Finding it at the Saks after Christmas was a sign it was meant to be!  

Have a great weekend!

All Black Almost Everything

Jacket - J. Crew, old

Purse - Coach, old

Sweater - Aqua, old

Pants - Theory, similar

Shoes - Jimmy Choo, old (save, splurge)

Earrings - boutique find

Bracelet - Bauble Bar

A lot of late nights this week means that I'm featuring outfits instead of weekly list of what I want.  The late nights also make it easier to stick to my shopping resolutions since I don't have time to shop!

Speaking of shopping my closet, this outfit features two of my favorite oldies but goodies.  This bag was one of the first designer purchases I made when I got my first job after college.  Even though it is kind of beaten up, I still love it.  And these shoes were a birthday present to myself.  I was so bummed I missed them in store, but then tracked them down on EBay and got a pretty good deal on them!  I can never pass up a good deal, leopard, or a cute shoes, and these cover all the bases.  

Have a great day!

Fur + Leather

Top: Zara, old

Skort: Zara, old

Tights: Hue

Boots: Bamboo via Fab'rik boutique

Neckalace: Bauble Bar

Ring: Bauble Bar, old

Bracelets: Bauble Bar (here, here, here)

I hoe you had a great weekend!!  They always fly by too quickly.  I've talked about love of leather many times on the blog (here, here, here.... you get the picture), but this may be my favorite leather piece so far.  I first discovered this skort in a black cotton/microfiber blend in Florence over the summer and it quickly became a summer go-to.  I was so excited when I saw the leather version for fall!  Since it is too cold for bare legs, I paired it with tights and boots and my favorite Zara sweater for dinner with friends.  

Have a great Monday!

Plaid + Leather

Top: Banana Republic, old

Skirt: Banana Republic (similar, vegan version)

Bag: Marc Jacobs, old

Shoes: Rag & Bone

Bracelet: Bauble Bar

TGIF!!  It has been a crazy week at work and I'm soo ready for this weekend!  I just want to veg out and catch up with friends that I haven't seen all week.  I'm keeping it short today, but I hope everyone has a great weekend!

My Style Resolutions

Images via 1/2/3/4

Looking at my overstuffed closet, I realize that I need a change in 2014.  I rarely do New Year’s resolutions, so I would prefer to call these more style resolutions that happen to come up in January :).  

I often find myself at the mall on the weekend wandering through the stores and then I’m surprised when I’ve bought a few items.  This came to a head over the break when I came home with a very cute dress only to find a very similar dress in my closet, with the tags on!!   I realized I was throwing money away and hence, resolution 1.  Not only will I save money by cutting back on some of these purchases, but I want to stretch my creativity and find new ways to wear the items already in my closet.  Just to clarify, that isn’t my closet above.  I just wish it was!!

That same experience led to resolutions 2 and 3.  I won’t deny that I’m very lucky to have a lot of great pieces in my closet, but I also have a lot of impulse buys just sitting there.  While that may make the people at the consignment shop happy, this year I want to avoid those purchases and be able to invest in some classic, (but maybe not cheap…) items.  I was shocked to find I don’t have a white button down or a black cashmere v-neck.  Also, I’ve wanted a great designer bag for a few years now.  This might be the year to save up and buy one, like this gorgeous Prada bag or this great Celine.

Finally, after looking over some of my favorite blogs (and along with some changes in my offline life), I’ve decided that this is a year to take more risks, and that will apply to my closet as well.  I love how Rachel Parcell of Pink Peonies or Blair Eadiee of Atlantic-Pacific push the boundaries with pairing.  Now that I’m not travelling 4 days a week, I can have more fun with my work (and non-work) outfits and I plan on doing that to the fullest!

Sorry for the rambling post!  What are your style resolutions?

Shopping My Closet

Sweater: Bloomingdales, old, similar

Dress: Jack (40% off!)

Tights: Hue

Shoes: Rag & Bone

Purse: Rebecca Minkoff, old

Earrings: Kenneth Jay Lane

Bracelets: Bauble Bar (here, here, here, old)

I hope you had a great weekend! 

I’m so excited to share the new layout for my site with you guys!  I think it is much prettier and cleaner than the old layout.  Kudos to Melissa Rose making my vision a reality!

I’m going to share all of my style resolutions with you on Wednesday, but will give a sneak peak of one, which is to shop my closet more and improve the cost per wear of some of my items.   This Jack dress first made an appearance back in the fall (here).  Since then, it has just been hanging in my closet, waiting to get out.  Unfortunately, my calendar is a little light on fancy occasions over the next few months, so I decided to make this dress a little more casual and work appropriate.   I threw on a cozy sweater since it has been so cold (!), my trusty Rag & Bone boots, and a pop of color bag and voila!  A great work outfit.

Have a great day!

Better Late Than Never....

Coat: Burberry

Shirt: Banana Republic, sold out

Jeans: Rag & Bone

Boots: Coach, old (similar)

Belt: Loft (similar)

Bracelets: Bauble Bar (here, here, here, here)

Necklaces: boutique finds

I think I must be the last person on the planet to hop on the plaid shirt trend! I tend to stay away from button downs since I despise ironing.  I noticed this shirt on Black Friday but didn't try it on.  While returning something after Christmas (when some of the best sales are!), Banana had it marked down with an extra 40% off.  At that price, I couldn't pass it up!  Now, I can't believe I waited so long to jump into the trend.  I love the slightly puffed shoulders on this version, which make it a little more feminine. I've been wearing this now stop (and actually have it on as I type this).  Best of all, it looks better a little rumpled so I don't even worry about ironing it.  A few minutes in the dryer or while I shower is all it needs.  Perfect!

Have a great weekend!

What I Want Wednesday... Coach shoes

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

I think we all know that I have a think for shoes....  After college, I found my first pair of black pumps for work at Coach and loved their shoes for several years after that.  I fell out of love with their shoes a few years ago after several disappointing collections.  Imagine my surprise when I wandered into the store over Christmas while shopping for presents (and maybe looking for one for myself ;)...) and couldn't stop drooling over the shoes.  I wanted almost every. single. pair.  

These black pumps (8) are like an updated classic that's perfect for work or after work and the white version (5) is a great classic as temps start to rise (eventually!).  I'm a smoking slipper fanatic (I have 3 pairs...), and this silver pair (7) is great with jeans or a skinny pant for days when your feet just need a break.  I think I'm going to have to try all of these on next time I'm in store (and pray for some kind of sale!).  You can check out the whole selection here.

Happy hump day!

Barbados Style Diary, part 2

Dress and Belt: Fab'rik boutique

Shoes: Stuart Weitzman, old

Purse: Marc Jacobs via Nordstrom Rack

Necklace: BaubleBar, old

I'm seriously wishing I was back in Barbados as I am writing this.  Like many places, Atlanta is freezing (for us!) and about to get even colder.  The high on Tuesday is 25!  I will miss waking up that view!

Being in Barbados gave me the chance to wear one of my favorite summer outfits. This dress is so easy and comfortable that I end up wearing it all the time.  I dress it up with a white blazer for work or throw on a pair of sandals and head to the beach (or more likely to dinner with friends...). This dress is from one of my favorite boutiques in Atlanta, Fab'rik, where everything is under $100 except for the denim.  What can I say, I love a great deal!

I hope your week is off to a great start!  Stay warm!

Barbados Style Diary, part 1

Top: Banana Republic, old

Shorts: J. Crew (sized up for length), old

Flats: Target, old

Earrings: Boutique Find

Bracelets: Bauble Bar (here, here, here) and boutique find

I was fortunate enough to escape to Barbados for a few days after Christmas.  My parents were going down and convinced me to join them.  I'm so glad they did!  It was so warm and relaxing.  Just looking at these pictures makes me want to go back, especially since it is 35 here!

I managed to sneak in a few pictures in my uncle's backyard, which is full of beautiful flowers and overlooks the ocean, just before the sun started setting.  Being in the tropics always breaks me out of my black and white rut.  I love these shorts since pink is one of my favorite colors (surprisingly!) and I went bolder with the purple top to be a little more tropical.  These Target flats are also such a bargain.  Every summer, I get a new pair of gold flats from Target and by the end of the summer my cost per wear is practically zero!

I also had to include a beautiful picture of the sunset that happened after my quick photoshoot.  It was so pretty!

Happy Friday!  I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Happy New Year!

Image from here

Happy New Year!!  I hope everyone had a great holiday break!  I took a few days off to enjoy being with my family, especially my brother who came home for Christmas.  I also escaped to Barbados with my parents for a few days (pictures of the outfits to come!) before coming back for 2014.

I'm ready and very excited for 2014.  2013 was a year of ups and downs.  I took a huge risk and quit my job at highly respected company without another job lined up.  I then took time to travel to figure out what I wanted to do and what would make me happy.  I'm very excited about the outcome and look forward to starting my new job soon!  

This is often a time for setting resolutions and mine usually last a month or two.  This year, I took a look to try to figure out where I want to be in 1, 3, and 5 years and lined my resolutions up with those.  There is still some of the be healthier, but I've also included where I want to be professionally and financially.  More importantly, I've included steps on how I want to achieve these goals.  Fingers crossed, this will help me keep those resolutions!

This time of the year is always a time of extreme optimism and I'm no different.  I'm ready to put 2013 behind me and take the lessons I learned over the year and conquer (and enjoy!) 2014.  I look forward to enjoying the ride with everyone!