Top Three

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Here are my top three looks for the month of October. Can you believe that it will be November tomorrow? I hope you all have a very safe, fun Halloween!

Fall Outerwear

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When it comes to outerwear, I have to admit I am not the biggest fan. Sure, there are pretty coats out there in numerous colors, prints, and cuts, but for me, a blazer is about as 'outerwear' as I get.

Just this weekend, it was 39 degrees as I left the house and I begrudgingly took my cute military style Loft coat with me. I drove down the street about thirty yards and had to stop the car so I could take my coat off. I appreciate my coat when I am outside for the two seconds it takes to get in my car or into a building, but after that, I get too hot and have to shed it.

I still found myself looking at several coats and thinking they were so cute. None of them are practical for me (considering I have worn my coat a grand total of two times in two years). But I know a lot of my readers live in colder climates than I and can probably appreciate a post devoted to cute fall/winter styles.

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The top two blazers are a little more my style for fall and winter. A blazer is the perfect thing to keep me warm. I am still loving bright colors as we head into winter too!

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The two-toned trend is one that has me itching to buy a coat even though I never wear them. I love the idea of a trench coat with leather sleeves or a blazer with sequin sleeves. These may be cute enough to pull me out of my 'no coat' tradition. 

Have a great day!

Cool Shimmer

LOFT sweater and skirt, Target tights, Tinley Road heels, F21 necklace,
Charming Charlie earrings, sunglasses

The weather has finally cooled down, making it somewhat necessary to break out the tights. This shimmery skirt from Loft has been a favorite of mine for a few years now and has been featured a few times on the blog (see here and here).

Have a great day!

Basic Brights

F21 blouse and jewelry (except for Charming Charlie white cuff), ASOS faux leather skirt,
Tinley Road heels, sunglasses

I think I am addicted to this pink shirt. It is a favorite Forever 21 purchase of mine and has been featured numerous times on the blog (see here, here, here). Nothing beats a versatile basic!

I've also noticed that I hardly wear my hair down anymore. This is probably the first time in over a month. Do you ever get stuck in a hair style rut? Pony tails and top knots have been my go-to style lately. 

Have a great weekend!

Invest

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When it comes to jewelry, I have to admit that I am pretty cheap. I'm not exactly sure why, but I think it has something to do with shelling out so much money for something that is relatively small. How can something so tiny be so expensive? Logically, it makes sense to spend a little more money on quality jewelry because it outlasts the cheap stuff. But at the time, I love scoring a cute bracelet or necklace for only $6. Of course it tarnishes almost instantly and I find that I have to replace it. It really makes more sense to invest in quality jewelry that will last for a long time.

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Spending over a hundred dollars on a necklace may not be in every person's budget (I cringe when I think of spending that much on a necklace), but if you find a gorgeous, well-made statement necklace that you can wear for years, it will be money well spent. The J.Crew statement necklace in the top center is a piece that I would treasure for years, should I decide to take the plunge.

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I love layering bracelets but there are times when just a simple statement cuff or bangle is all you need.

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A gorgeous pair of stones hanging from your ears will definitely dress up a look more than a simple pair of hoops. A lot of my earrings are pretty basic, and I tend to gravitate toward studs (maybe it is because I have a 12 month old baby who would find any earring dangling from my ears too good to resist). I am loving the J.Crew Resin and Marcasite earrings (top left). They would be a beautiful statement piece to add to my jewelry collection.

Florals in Fall

Handmade cocktail dress, LOFT cardigan, Tinley Road heels, Charming
Charlie jewelry, sunglasses 

We are still having crazy weather in the South. No coats necessary just yet. The warm weather was a great excuse to pull out my floral cocktail dress. I made this dress two years ago to wear on a cruise with my husband. I made a few other things for that trip and you can read about them here.

Have a great day!

Expect the Unexpected

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When it comes to certain articles of clothing, jewelry, or shoes, I tend to stick to complimentary accessories. For example, the gold sequined blouse pictured above would look so cute with a black pencil skirt and black pointed pumps. I typically pair similar items together. However, switching it up a bit and mixing unlikely pieces together can be just as fun. Pairing a studded thick-heeled boot with a girly sequin blouse can be the perfect match.

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When it comes to nautical-inspired clothing, I tend to stick to red or yellow pieces. To me, that just says "nautical." However, I think it is fun to mix prints such as the animal print shoe above, or maybe a floral handbag instead.

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I like the idea of mixing an edgy (or maybe more than one) piece with a feminine look. While I am the girliest, prissiest girl that I know, I love edgy pieces as well. 

What about you? Are you one who chooses the "expected" option? Or are you "unexpected" in your fashion choices? I'd love to know!

Destiny

Kirna Zabete for Target sweater and pants, Tinley Road heels, F21 jewelry,
Old Navy glasses

I'm so glad that faux leather pieces are becoming more popular. A year ago when I was searching high and low for leather pants, I finally ordered some from Topshop, only to have them be a little tight. (I still stuff myself into them but the zipper isn't too happy about it.)

I picked up these faux leather pants the other day at Target in the clearance section. They were the last pair left. It was destiny.

Have a great Monday!

Mixed Prints

ASOS top, A.N.A shorts, Old Navy flats, F21 jewelry and clutch

Once upon a time I started this little blog to share my love of fashion with the world. I didn't keep up with it in the beginning as much but have tried to keep up with it the past few months. I have enjoyed challenging myself and coming up with new outfits. I have loved finding other bloggers out there and seeing their style. It has really influenced my style!

However, I have noticed a trend with blogging lately. I love to read other blogs and I only comment when I feel like there is something worth commenting upon. I have noticed in my reading of other blogs (and comments written on mine as well) that there has been the "I would love to follow each other" comment. I see these comments as people who only want to promote their blogs and really don't want to 'follow' people. They just want their numbers to keep cranking up. While it is fun to see a new follower, I don't want people following me just in hopes that I will follow back. Because I just won't. I want people to follow my blog because they like it and not because they hope that I will follow them back because they were nice enough to  'follow' me. 

Have a great day! 

Battle of the Styles

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Lately I have been evaluating my wardrobe. I have never been a t-shirt kind of girl. (You know, the regular t-shirts that most of us wear to the store, running, around the house, etc.) It isn't that I have anything against them, I just don't like the way they look on me. So I have been a 'cutesie' t-shirt kind of girl. (See below.)

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These are the types of tops that I used to continually gravitate toward: basic silhouettes in solid colors. (Maybe a pattern here and there.) While I think that basic tops are a must in any wardrobe (see post here), I think it is important to have several statement pieces as well.

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The more I think about it, I believe that embellished tops belong in every woman's wardrobe. I think it is fun to have a a few pieces that are a little over-the-top. It may be just a few sequins splashed across the shoulders like the Forever 21 tank pictured. Or perhaps it is a little lace. Of course, I am loving that pearl embellished t-shirt! The point is that your wardrobe should be made up of basic, classic pieces, but you should have some fun pieces as well. Don't think that you "can't do sequins" or "can't pull off lace." That is, of course, rubbish.

Have a great Tuesday!

Shiny

H&M blouse, F21 blazer, LOFT jeans, Nine West heels, Old Navy sunglasses,
Francesca's earrings, F21 watch and bracelets

For so long I have wondered about another way to wear my metallic silver blouse. I paired it with a pair of pale pink shorts a few months ago in this post. Adding white seemed like the next best thing to do but for some reason I could not think of what to wear on the bottom. Then it hit me... jeans. Good grief, why did the obvious take so long to come to me?

Have a great day!

Mascara Wars

I don't know about you, but I am constantly trying new mascaras. Every product out there promises to extend lashes and thicken them considerably. I don't think I have ever noticed a huge difference in my lashes according to what brand I use but certain brush styles do seem to help as I apply my mascara in the morning.

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I am currently using Voluminous False Fiber Lashes by L'Oreal. I can't say that I am crazy about it. I don't know if it is the formula, the wand, or both. When I apply the mascara, it comes off in clumps on my lashes. The brush seems really thick and I have a hard time getting into the corners of my eyes.

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The L'Oreal Telescopic Original Mascara was what I was using previously. I think I really liked it because the brush was so skinny. When I pulled it out for the first time, I just stared at it because it was the skinniest brush I had ever seen. There was no clumping on the brush and I was able to apply the mascara evenly and was able to reach into the innermost corners of my eyes.

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I've used the L'Oreal original voluminous mascara on several occasions. It seems to be a good basic mascara. I never really have issues with clumping regardless of the medium/large size brush.

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Then there is the L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion mascara. It consists of a tiny ball of bristles. A little odd at first but it definitely helps with applying mascara to each individual lash. It is perfect for the hard-to-reach parts in the corners.

I probably will not buy the False Fiber mascara again (image number one) just because of how it goes on. I would recommend the telescopic versions (both the skinny brush and the little ball) if you are wanting something for detail.

It is always interesting to see what you will get when you buy a new mascara. For me, the biggest thing is the shape of the brush and how it applies to my lashes. I feel like if you are able to apply your mascara without having to worry about severe clumping, your lashes will look longer and prettier. I do not think tarantula lashes look pretty on anyone!

Happy Birthday Gabriel

I can't believe it has been a year since my sweet little Gabey baby was born. I remember going to the hospital and was so petrified of the delivery. I actually had a breakdown in the hospital room as soon as we got there. A nurse walked in and I was crying. She asked what was wrong and I told her how petrified I was. She asked if it was my first baby and I said no, that it was my second. I think she was probably wondering why I was so scared if I had done it before!

My sweet little guy came at 2:03 and was the cutest baby (besides his older brother, of course.) I thank God every single day for both of my boys and feel so lucky that I was chosen to be their mom.

Here are just a few of my favorite pictures from the past year and from his party.

My favorite picture of all time:

Since Gabriel loves to eat, we thought we would do a 'chef' party. I found invitations with a little chef holding a pizza so we decided to do a pizza party. We let the toddlers make their own pizzas while the adults ate ready-made pizza. 

I made flower pom poms and hung them throughout the house. They are so easy. If you are interested, I can do a tutorial in a future post. I also hung pictures of Gabriel next to the pom poms for a little more visual interest. 

My brilliant cousin made his birthday cake. I was so impressed!

Happy birthday angel boy!

Wild Child

Asos top, Victoria's Secret leggings, Guess heels, F21 earrings

I was a pretty wild kid growing up. Not wild in my teenage years, but wild as a child. I remember climbing door frames all the way up to the ceiling. I wanted to create a magic dust (it was cinnamon and sugar) and eat it and jump off the roof of the house; I was convinced it would make me fly. I tried jumping off the bed first to test my theory. Good thing I tested it before I made my way to the roof. 

I also distinctly remember riding my tricycle down the steps on our front porch. That was pretty fun. I was pretty wild but the nickname my dad and brother gave me was 'The Terrorizer'...

What does any of this have to do with my outfit? Oh, the leggings just reminded me of my childhood. That's all.