Last Nights Cookout

It was chilly outside but I still wanted to be in bright summer colors. I choose this outfit because brown and yellow are one of my fave combos and because the bright yellow reminded me of the summer sun. I had a few compliments on my outfit and someone said I love how your jewelry always matches your outfit. I know I do this intentionally but I know I also do it because my hubby has a tendency to match his hat to his outfit. We have this thing where neither one of us wants to be better dressed than the other but we want an even playing field :)
The jacket was from Maurices, shoes from CATO and the jewelry from the $1 jewelry store.
Happy Shopping!

Top 10 Wardrobe Essentials- Essential #5

Essential #5 is the Crisp White Top

This may seem like a bland addition to a wardrobe but it is an essential because it will go with absolutely anything! It doesn't have to be a button down, even though that is preferred, but it does need to match your essential style.

As you can see the crisp white shirt can be worn in many ways. Casual, dressed up, even in between. This is a very versatile piece and again should be purchased in a style you would wear. The one I own is corseted, no collar and latches instead of buttons. It doesn't have to be ubber professional but it does need to be something you can wear to an interview.

A few words of caution:
To The WHITE girl- and I mean really pale... Find a white that contrasts with your skin-tone. If you have a reddish tint to your skin a crisp white will work for you, even if you have an olive undertone it will but if you border on the vampiric side of white, go for a creamier white. It needs to off-set your skin, not blend in.

To the Busty Girl- STAY AWAY FROM RUFFLES!!! They are not your friend. Yes, your hubby loves that one ruffle number, but ask yourself why... He loves your boobs! And they look gigantic in that one ruffle number. I have this problem, my hubby LOVES my blue maxi-dress. And I now I know why. After going out in public I realized people couldn't keep their eyes off of my chest. I still love the dress but I have learned an undershirt is needed. Ruffles, however, can't be fixed with an undershirt. Also, avoid anything that doesn't button over your chest, or has an empire waistline that cuts your boobs in half. I don't care how cute it is, it won't look right.

Use pops of color everywhere else :). This is the way to show off that stunning green blazer or neon pants you purchased last week. This is the way to showcase your best jewelry. What about those shoes you bought with the funky print? You aren't sure what to wear them with, so you don't. Well, this is it.

Remember, this piece should and will go with everything in your closet as long as you buy it in your style!

Today's Outfit 4-23-12

All purchases from Wal-Mart.

Top 10 Wardrobe Essentials - Essential #4

My #4 wardrobe essential is, non other than, the LBD.

By the picture above you've probably come to realize LBD stands for "Little Black Dress". This is an essential for many reasons. That HOT date you've been waiting for, a formal event, a nice dinner party... even hitting the club.

This is every sexy girls go-to-item because it is a great way to show off any figure.

Ways to wear the LBD:

The first look is for work. A sexy black dress is just as good as a power suit for a woman. Notice it is paired with a white blazer, this tones down the sexiness and allows you to look polished instead of skanky.
Look 2 is the sex kitten look, don't cover up too much, this dress was made to kill. Show off everything you have to offer with this stunning look.
Look 3 is made for the club, add a little bling and a funky shoe and you've set the mood just right to party all night!

For the skinny girl - Look for form fitting dresses that hug what curves you do have. Stay away from the draping fabrics and even find a dress with some peek-a-boo cut outs.

For the thick girl- SHAPEWEAR, SHAPEWEAR, SHAPEWEAR! I cannot stress this enough. The LBD is a sexy, slimming look but you have to realize where your flaws lie and work with them instead of fighting them. Look for empire waisted dresses, a-line skirts, and wrap-dresses. These are the most flattering cuts for your body type.

For the in-betweens - Again I say SHAPEWEAR! If you wear a fitted dress and you have a belly bulge... it will only be exaggerated. Know where your problem areas lie and work with them instead of fighting them. If you have big hips do not be afraid of the pencil skirt. The last two dresses in the first picture would look great if you had an hourglass or even bottom heavy figure. Top heavy? Go for the two above them.

The secret to ANY LBD is confidence. So if you try on a fabulous dress and you love it but are nervous about wearing it in front of anyone DON'T BUY IT! You can't be sexy and confident while tugging on your dress all night. You can't be sexy and confident if you are too worried about boob slippage. You also can't be sexy and confident if you are too covered. It's called a LITTLE black dress for a reason :)

Happy Shopping!

Top 10 Wardrobe Essentials - Essential #3

Essential #3 is the suit!

Okay, so you are sitting there saying to yourself... Why on earth would I need a suit? I am not a professional. I am too young to wear a suit. I am too fashion forward to wear a suit.

This is where you are WRONG! I am not even asking you to wear a suit. I am not saying that the suit you buy should be worn once a week. I am saying, you will get TWO essential wardrobe items out of a suit!!!

Piece #1
The Blazer- Okay, a fitted blazer looks good on ANY body type. It's shape allows any woman the ability to seem like she has an hourglass figure. The lady above is pencil thin and has no chest or hips to speak of BUT the suit gives her the illusion of an hourglass shape. It's nipped at her smallest point and flares out towards her hips

How to Wear a Blazer

Above are some ways to wear a blazer. Example #1 is a casual daytime look that can easily be worn at night. Example #2 is a night out look. Example #3 is a daytime look. All three use the blazers from a suit. Note that NONE of the blazers are boring. The one on the left is even bright pink and there is nothing wrong with that.

Piece #2 - The pencil skirt, a-line skirt or dress pants

All three are wardrobe essentials, so no matter which one you choose you can't go wrong :)

How to wear a pencil skirt

Example #1 is a work-to-night look. Examples 2 and 3 are fun and flirty day looks. A pencil skirt shouldn't be just for the office or limited to the professionals. They showcase curves and give the illusion of curves to those who don't have any.

How to Wear an A-Line Skirt

KEEP IT SIMPLE! The fullness of the a-line is all the accessory you need. Adding too much can make the outfit seem bulky. It's fine to have some embellishment (see Ex. #2) but make sure your top half is fitted. Also, larger girls should look for A-lines that do not have too much extra bulk. The lining should be thin and the skirt itself shouldn't have too much extra fabric.

How to Wear Dress Pants

In this example I will give my best example for each body type (Skinny, Medium and Luscious)

In Example #1 I have paired cropped, skinny, floral pants with a funky racer-back top! This is a fun and funky look only you skinny girls can pull off. Embrace the big floral prints because they look FAB on you. In

Example #2 I went with a wide-leg dress pant and a peplum inspired top. This outfit will hide anything you have problems with and enhance your figure. If you are medium-but curvy this look will still work for you, just make sure you have a GREAT bra!!!

And for Example #3, the straight leg pant is the BEST option for the thicker girl (make SURE you have figured out your size before purchasing a pair or you WILL look lumpy!!) because these pants work with your curves without adding to them. The pants above have a slight boot-cut and that is fine but avoid anything that says flare. Layering pieces also allows for the illusion of curves (if you need it) and hides flaws (if you need to) and the pointy toe on the shoe also helps to elongate the body.

Now you can see why most stylists add this to their essential's arsenal! It is a fabulous way to add so many elements of style to your wardrobe!

Hope you've found some inspiration today!!

30 Days of FAB Hair - Day 6

I said once I found some hairstyles that worked well with the new do I would post them. This was the inspiration for my Day 6 hair. My hair is very layered so some fell forward and my bangs were not pulled back but side-swept. My hair being thinner I should have used a hair-piece to make my bun fuller but it still looked very cute.

Today's Outfit 4-1-12

Yep, today I went a little bit country. I am from Oklahoma after all :) All things have been mentioned in previous posts so I will just say, I hope you are enjoying the blog :)