Reviewing 2013: A Few of My Favorite Looks

Unbelievably it is January 31st. I decided to do a round-up of some of my favorite looks from 2013. 

As we move forward in 2014, I am assessing what style goals I'd like to set . How about you? What style goals are you working on?

Pinterest Inspired: Polka Dots in the Nude

Today's outfit was inspired by a picture that I found on Pinterest. I contacted the owner of the photo, but have not received a response as of yet regarding permission to post that image on this site. Nonetheless, this outfit is one example of why I have fallen captive to the inspiration board that is Pinterest. Are you on Pinterest? Please join me at: InMyJoi and let's be inspired together!

I wore this evening style dress over two years ago to a wedding. Since then, it has been buried at the back of my closet with a collection of forgotten evening dresses. When I saw this exact same dress (different color, same brand) worn casually on Pinterest, I was inspired to recreate a way to wear it to the office. I knew I wanted to work with pieces that I already had. This is what I came up with.

What do you think? I was very pleased with how it turned out! I think I like it better worn this way, than after 5-ish with pearls =) One of my style goals for this year is to recreate ways to wear everything that is in my wardrobe. For items that I do not wear often, I will examine why, and then discover ways that they can be worn practically. I'm hoping that the 'new ways' discovered outdo the 'old ways'!

P.S. I am currently battling a cold (as discussed on IG) and I've been wearing sunnies lately to hide my red, watery eyes :(

Have a great weekend & thanks for stopping by!

Sunnies: Todd's

Jewelry: Vintage, thrifted

Blouse: Ralph Lauren, thrifted (also seen here)

Dress: Just Taylor

Shoes: Nine West (also seen here)

Handbag: Coach

Minty Candy Cane: Improvised Peplum & Skinny Ankle Pants

 Today's outfit post reminds me of a red and white candy cane. Each piece has been in my wardrobe for a while, yet I have never worn them all together. Funny story about this peplum top: It's actually a tube top, and previously had a large red bow on it. I bought it because I liked the pattern, it was peplum, and as an added bonus: it was on final clearance at TJMaxx for $5.00. Yet, I wasn't sure how I wanted to wear it, and I really disliked the bow. So it sat in my dresser drawer for 2 years or more...One day while perusing my closet for new combination ideas, I happened to notice that the sweater and the peplum top went together very well. It looks very similar to a twinset. I cut off the bow, and wa-la! 

 The mint pants seemed like a natural match. Friends of this blog know that 9 times out of 10, I stick with Not Your Daughter's Jeans as my go to pants. The fit is just wonderful...Ah- I digress! Any who, there are times when I deviate, and this is one example. I like the fit of these pants, but I must say, in my opinion they don't really do anything for me. Don't get me wrong, I like the color, the length, and fit overall. They just seem to lack the 'umph' that I look for in a pair of pants.

Sweater: Ellen Tracy

Peplum: Monteau

Pants: Vince Camuto

Handbag: Dooney & Bourke

Mary Jane's: Nine West (also seen here and here)

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have a wonderful day!

Purple Reigns

Today's post is short and sweet. One of the benefits of being married to a golfer is the beautiful views enjoyed from golf resorts; Perfect photo opportunities! I wore these jeans not too long ago,  but I wanted to wear them again. 
Have you ever had a hankering to wear something that you just wore not too long ago?

Faux fur: Victoria's Secret (Came attached to a sweater)

Silk blouse: Ralph Lauren (also seen here)

Skinny Jeans: NYDJ (also seen here)

Stilettos: Nine West

Rhinestone evening bag: Vintage, thrifted

Scuba Meets Vibrant Graphic Print

The weather has been unseasonably mild here in Southern California. It's hard to fathom that we are nearing the end of January.

Today's post features an outfit that's perfect for a mild evening/night out. 

Of course, being the lover of vintage that I am, I "needed" to wear my elbow length vintage gloves. 
No, but seriously, they are a nice alternative for milder temperatures when going sleeveless. 
If temps are cooler, a shirt can be worn underneath and tights along with boots.

The dress is easily transitioned to the cooler night air with a moto jacket.

 I really like my crochet collar necklace, as it dresses up the neckline. 
For a more casual look, I remove the necklace, gloves, heels, clutch, and moto jacket. 
Instead, I pair it with a black sweater, ballet flats, and a handbag. 

 The colors and the print in the skirt of this dress are very vibrant. I wanted them to be the main focal point. 
To accomplish that, I kept all accompanying colors dark. 

Jewelry: Nordstrom Rack (For those that follow me on IG, you know that I scored the earrings for $1.00 USD!)

Dress: Just Taylor

Leather Gloves: Vintage, thrifted (similar worn here)

Faux Leather Moto Jacket: Jones New York

Booties: Kelsi Dagger (also seen here and here)

Clutch: Vintage, thrifted

Date Night: Cropping it Out Checkerboard Style

We've made it to Wednesday, so that must mean that there are only two more days until the weekend begins! 

I decided to post this fun outfit as date night inspiration before the weekend arrives. Although it's been 15 plus years of date nights with the same man (my husband), I still feel excited and anticipate dressing up! 

I've been feeling the trend of jogging pants worn dressy, but craved a bit more pizazz than the typical cotton jersey or jersey knit styles. When I spotted these satin pants at Nordstrom Rack, I knew that they would create the look that I wanted. I bought them slightly larger, and added sheer leggings with a lace edge underneath. Next I rolled the bottom of the pants legs up, to 'create' the look of jogging pants with a lace edge. I paired them with a checkerboard crop top and I was ready to roll.

 Wearing my pony to the side always feels so fancy free! Added bonus: You can actually see my highlights which are normally hidden under a mass of textured curls/ a bun/ or a hat.

 When in doubt, add bling!

A fur topper doesn't hurt since the night air is cool.

The highlight: Wearing my studded peep-toes! Unfortunately they always seem to lose a stud or rhinestone along the way...

Jewelry: Nordstrom

Chinchilla fur: Thrifted

Crop top: Forever 21

Satin pants: Sejour, Nordstrom

Clutch: Vintage, thrifted

Shoes: Sam Edelman (I originally had these in nude, now I wish I had kept them)

And for good measure, a close up of the Sam's! Aren't they lovely?!

School Days: High End to Low End in Tartan & Stripes

Today's outfit was inspired by the school uniforms worn back in my day. I had to wear one, and detested it because I felt like it stunted my creativity. Now I rock it my way, by choice. You know which ones I am referring to: 

That navy blazer and plaid skirt deal! 

I wholly embrace tartan, and have done so since it was called plain ole "plaid"! LOL! 

It seemed only logical that my tartan blazer should be mixed with stripes and bold color.

This outfit is a mix of so-called high end brands, and their more budget friendly counterparts. I am a thrifty gal myself, yet I prefer to shop a wide range of brands to sift out quality, well-made pieces. Sometimes I find them in Saks Fifth Avenue (on sale of course), and other times at local thrift shops. In my opinion, quality and durability out weigh 'trends'. The majority of the time, I buy classic pieces, that are intended to last many years. For the fun, less practical side of me, I also purchase pieces that are trendy and hip to stay current, and to add additional flair.

This is easy business attire, and was taken to evening chic status by adding a vintage clutch. 

Sunnies: Nordstrom

Blazer: Evan Picone, Vintage & thrifted (worn here)

Shirt: Finity, Saks Fifth Avenue

Tie: Yves Saint Laurent, thrifted

Pants: NYDJ (also seen here)

Baby Jane's: Nine West (another go here)

Handbag: Dooney & Bourke Milano Collection (seen all throughout the blog)

Clutch: Vintage, thrifted

Over to you, do you mix high and low end brands? Do you fancy tartan as much as I do?

In Living Color

Alas, we've made it to Friday! Today's post features bold colors in no particular order. If you've been following this blog, you may have noticed that I appreciate the brightest hues imaginable. Examples can be seen here, here, and here. Although each color below is different, somehow they all seem to match in my mind. Often people tell me that they do not feel comfortable wearing bright colors. For me, it's quite the opposite. I feel like 'myself' in living colors.

Coat: Vintage, thrifted

Sweater: Jones New York, thrifted

Shirt: Liz Claiborne (Also seen here; Scored for $1.00 USD at TJMaxx) 

Statement necklace: JCPenny

Pants: INC International

Boots: Unisa

Crochet clutch: Vintage, thrifted

Over to you, which bold colors appeal to you? Do you go bold from head to toe, or is it your preference to incorporate one bold color at a time? 

Have a great weekend!

Stepping out in Vintage Mink & Tartan

While much of the country is in a deep freeze, mild temperatures are still in full effect here in Southern California. Since I'm originally from the Midwest (Detroit), I have a love for warm weather pieces. However, it seems I don't get as much wear out of them now. Whenever temps dip low enough, I happily pull out pieces from my winter stash.

There's something about vintage mink that makes me feel glamorous. I decided to dress it down with a wool tartan blazer and NYDJs. Although I don't like cold temperatures, I do enjoy the clothing that it calls for!

Vintage mink hat: Saks Fifth Avenue, thrifted in Chicago
Blazer: Ralph Lauren
Jeans: NYDJ (similar here, here, and here)
Booties: MIA (also seen here and here)
Crossbody bag: Coach, throwback circa 1998

Rosey Leather, Antique Lace, and Big Hair

Leather jacket: Black Rivet

Lace dress: Vintage, thrifted

Shoes: Jessica Simpson

Handbag: Michael Kors