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Here are my favorite outfit posts from this month. Hope you guys have a great weekend!

Pick Your Perfect Shade

When it comes to choosing a lip color, I am opting for darker colors that feel more fall-appropriate. I have a bag of nearly twenty different lipsticks so when I am deciding on a color for the day, sometimes the choices are overwhelming. I decided to pull out all of my darker colors and put them together so I could see all of my choices. If you are like me and have several shades to choose from, this is a good method for picking your shade of the day. I took it a step further and smudged a bit on a tissue so I could visualize the shade a bit better.

Sometimes lipstick looks different when applied to a surface than it does straight from the tube.

When I do my nails at night, I always line up my polishes before picking my shade. I have to keep my polishes locked away in a cabinet (I have kids) so I constantly forget what I have. Lining them up is a great way to see what you have and to pick your perfect shade.

How do you pick your perfect shade?

Brown on Brown

Old Navy jacket, Francesca's dress, Mossimo heels, unknown belt,
F21 jewelry, Tobi sunglasses

This is one jacket that has gotten a lot of use over the past few weeks. It originally came with a skirt, and for the longest time, that was the only way I wore it. The past few weeks as I looked through my closet, however, I was able to come up with new ways to wear it. Who doesn't love stretching their wardrobe?

Have a great day!

Just Dance

Most of you probably know that I teach dance. Jazz, specifically. I teach tap also but my heart has always been in jazz. 

I started out in dance like most little girls. My mom put me in a tap/ballet/tumbling class at five years old. I took it for a year before my mom decided to put me in gymnastics instead. As a rambunctious child, I think she saw that my energy was best expelled in tumbling. I probably liked it more anyway at the time.

When I was seven, I remember my dad coming to me and asking if I wanted to take ballet. I loved dancing around the house and had natural rhythm so I think he thought it would be a good idea to put me in class. I said no.

In high school, I decided that I wanted to dance on danceline. At the time, I thought this was truly the best in dance. I remember seeing the danceline perform in middle school and thinking there was no better thing in the world. With the sequins flying, metallic pom poms shaking, and the girls high-kicking their faces, I knew that I had to do it. I tried out at the end of my freshman year and was crushed when I didn't make it. My mom enrolled me in a jazz class for my sophomore year at a local dance studio. She wisely saw that I needed a bit of technique training before attempting to try out the following year. At the end of my sophomore year I tried out again and made it. I was ecstatic, to say the least. Little did I know that you could be cut from routines once you made the team, if your dancing was not up to par. I was cut from the very FIRST dance that we learned. Talk about a blow to the ego. 

After high school, I missed dance (or rather, what I thought was dance) and went back to the dance studio that my mom enrolled me in as a sophomore. That is when my love affair with real dance began. I took as many classes as I could and had dreams of becoming a professional dancer. Of course, becoming a professional dancer when you start training at eighteen years old is quite unrealistic. I suffered a knee injury (which still gives me grief today) but thought at least I could own my own studio one day.

I think that life has a funny way of working out. I truly feel that God has led me to where I am today. Sometimes I look back on my life and wish that I would have started dancing as a kid and stuck with it. It makes me wonder where I would be now. Or if I had not had a knee injury, where would I be now? If I had opened my own studio, I know I would have been ill-equipped to take on such a large endeavor. I never opened my own studio but God led me to one that a friend owned and I have never been happier. In the past five years that I have taught, I have learned so much. I have learned how to teach better and more efficiently. I have loved watching my girls get better each year. I have even become a better dancer through teaching. Who knew that could happen at age 32?

Dance is such a big part of my life so I had to share it with you. I will never be perfect, especially now as I get older. But I can become wiser, and hopefully a better teacher for it.

All images via Giordano Dance

If you have the slightest interest in dance, contact a studio near you. It's never too late to learn to dance!

Not So Serious

TJ Maxx skirt, unknown top, Target heels, F21 jewelry...except for Francesca's
earrings, Tobi sunglasses

Usually when one wears a pencil skirt the look says polished, classy, professional, etc. Pairing a pencil skirt with a fun top helps to tone down the serious vibe. I found a few options here, here, and here if you feel like mixing silly prints with serious skirts.

Have a great day!

Animal Prints

Bisou Bisou tunic, handmade skirt, Target heels, F21 necklace, sunglasses

I have only worn this tunic with leggings until I thought about pairing it with a skirt. I simply hitched up the bottom of it a bit so that it wouldn't show under the skirt. I made the skirt a few years ago when I was on a sewing kick. I hope to get back into sewing sometime soon. I started making a pair of pants a few weeks ago and got as far as cutting out the pattern. So maybe by this time next year they will be ready!

Have a great weekend!

Zipped Up

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I love how a zipper can take a piece of clothing from simple to edgy. A motorcycle jacket is already edgy in its nature, but add a few extra zippers and you have a cool piece. Downplay edgy pieces with feminine ones like a sequin skirt, or sandals with bows. 

Easy Peplum

F21 shirt, necklace, and bracelet, Francesca's earrings, Old Navy shorts, Lazaro
clutch, Tinley Road heels, sunglasses 

This little red peplum t-shirt was one of the best purchases I have made lately. It is so soft and comfortable. Not to mention that it goes with so much in my closet!

Have a great day!

Feeling Fall

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The weather is still pretty warm, but that hasn't stopped me from looking for fall pieces. These are a few pieces that I think will work well for in-between weather and even carry through into the winter. The Steve Madden boots are a recent purchase of mine on the recommendation of my sister. I had been looking for the perfect dark brown boots for the past few years, so when I saw these I knew I had to have them. 

I am loving the nude heels as well. I think a pair of nude heels is essential to any woman's wardrobe. They go with everything and you can wear them year round.

What pieces are on your fall must-have list?

Fringe

F21 blouse and bracelets, Zara skirt, Tinley Road heels, Francesca's earrings,
sunglasses

I love anything with fringe on it. When I saw this skirt on sale at Zara, I had to have it! Paired with a simple blouse, it is the perfect outfit to transition from summer to fall.

Have a great day!

Basic Black Blazer

Francesca's blazer, shirt, and earrings, A.N.A shorts, F21 clutch and bracelet,
Charming Charlie ring and necklace, sunglasses, Steve Madden heels, suede band
pulled off of shoes and worn as a headband

When it comes to blazers I have several colors, but nothing beats my basic black blazer. It goes with just about everything, including my favorite shorts of the summer: denim cutoffs.

Have a great day!

Neutrals

Old Navy jacket, F21 blouse, H&M shorts, Audrey Brooke heels, Charming
Charlie necklace (worn as a bracelet) and ring, F21 clutch, Francesca's earrings, Tobi sunglasses

I love pairing neutral colors with hints of feminine colors, like these pink shorts. When I don't feel like wearing loud colors, neutrals are my go-to.

Have a great day!

Date Night

As most of you might know, I am a mom of two little boys so I cherish any date night that I can get with my husband. I love to get dressed up for our dates. In fact, I think I dress up more for our dates now than I did when we were dating!

I put together two date night looks that I would wear on a dinner date. The look on the left is a little bit more casual, but the bow flats and the metallic bag keep it feminine and sweet. The look on the right is a little more glitzy, thanks to the sequins. Not many accessories are needed for such a vibrant piece.

Do you dress up for dates, or do you like to keep it casual? I would love to know!

Simple

F21 blouse, Gap jeans, Lazaro clutch, Tinley Road heels, Charming Charlie cuff,
Francesca's earrings, sunglasses

When it comes to wearing bright colors, sometimes I like to keep the accessories simple. A clutch, cuff, and hoop earrings are all that it takes to complete this look.

Have a fabulous day!

Not What it Seems...

F21 maxi dress, top, and jewelry, Michael Kors bag, Steve Madden sandals,
sunglasses

I've had this maxi dress (yes, it is a maxi dress) for the past few months but haven't really known how to wear it. I could have worn it as is but somehow it reminded me of a maternity dress. Not that there is anything wrong with maternity wear but since I have been pregnant twice, I am trying to steer clear of anything resembling such clothing. 

I tried it on with jackets, shirts, and blazers and still nothing looked right. Before throwing up my hands in exasperation, I decided to try one last thing. Throwing a shirt over the maxi dress and pulling the skirt up to shorten it turned this plain maxi into a fun outfit.

I might just have to see how many different outfits I can create with this trick... Have a great day!

Elegant and Frayed

Tobi top, A.N.A shorts, Zara heels, F21 jewelry, Francesca's clutch, sunglasses

I sometimes love to wear a very casual outfit like frayed denim shorts with an elegant hair style. Somehow even though I am wearing shorts, I still feel somewhat dressed up. 

I ordered these lovely sandals and when I stepped outside for the first time, I realized that they were navy. They looked black in the house but as soon as natural daylight hit them, it was revealed that they were, in fact, navy. No worries; they were only $10 and I still love them!

Have a great day!

Change of Season

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If you live in a warmer climate, fall tends to come a little later. The hottest months of the year where I live tend to be August and September. When it comes to clothing, you may not be willing to dress in long sleeves, pants and cute winter coats just yet. The two outfits I put together are great transitional pieces for those hot September days when the thought of pants is stifling. You can stay cool in a sleeveless top and still look somewhat appropriate for fall with the darker colors.

Jewel Tones

Warehouse blouse, F21 shorts and jewelry, Michael Kors bag, Steve Madden sandals,
sunglasses

One would think that lace sleeves would be somewhat cool in the hot summer months. Not so. If it is made of polyester (lace or not) there is no way it can be cool. With that aside, this is a pretty fun outfit, and I love these two bright jewel tones together.

I finished up a two-week teaching stint last week and it will be good to just relax for the next week. I think I might just take this week to read some books, magazines, and catch up on my blog reading.

Something Old, Something New

Francesca's top and earrings, Bisou Bisou pants, F21 bracelets, necklace, and clutch,
Tinley Road heels, sunglasses

I picked up this cute little top at Francesca's this past weekend to go with a new pair of pants. Who knew that I would love it with these old black pants? I love mixing up items in my closet. What about you?

Have a great day!