Read Between the Lines

Sunnies: Jessica Simpson| Stud earrings: Fossil| Dress: Yours Clothing via Gwynnie Bee-Sign up for one month free TODAY

Sandals: Steve Madden| Bracelet: J. Crew

If I had to pick just one piece that has been my steady this summer, it would have to be this striped number that I scored from Gwynnie Bee! As you may have read/heard previously, Gwynnie Bee is a unique retail clothing subscription service for sizes 10-32.

This Summer I’ve been working with them to spread the word far and wide on how awesome this option is for the busy fashionable dame. For a limited time, you can sample all the benefits of GB via a free 30 day trial! Along with each membership also comes the option to buy any pieces that you fall in love with. This dress was one such piece for me <3 When I initially selected it for my virtual closet (learn more about that here), I didn’t have high expectations. Don’t get me wrong, I knew it was cute: Black & white, stripes, plus the cold shoulder feature I’ve been struck with this summer...but  I didn’t really give it a 2^nd thought. I underestimated it! 

From the moment that it arrived and I tried it on- I was/have been entirely smitten with it. Yes, it is an easy wear, yet it is so comfortable and effortlessly stylish- I was quite overtaken! Within 3 days I knew that I wanted this maxi for my forever wardrobe, and I purchased it from the Gwynnie Bee shop for under $25! Who doesn’t LOVE an effortlessly fab dress at a bargain price?! I know I do! A few of the reviews  (another great feature GB offers- you can read a number of reviews for over 2000 items) noted that the dress had gold threading in-between the stripes  which concerned me initially- but honestly up against my skin tone it is hardly noticeable.

I have worn this dress at least 10 times/ways for different events/purposes. This time around I paired it with a statement bracelet that I snagged on sale a few weeks ago, coordinating stud earrings, and sunnies. It was perfect for spending a hot summer’s day in a beach city.

With the end of summer fast approaching, if you had to pick just one wardrobe steady, what would it be?

Until next time, 

XO

Checkered & Tied

Today’s style story features a stint over in the Boy’s Club by way of a classic Brooks Brothers stripe tie. I scored it some time ago from a thrift shop. While reorganizing my wardrobe (a continuous process) I came to realize how perfectly it synced up with a vintage Liz Claiborne vest that I scored at another thrift store:) I love happy realizations such as this one! Often, while reorganizing and pruning my wardrobe I come across items that complement one another well – items that I hadn’t previously considered wearing together. Those ‘surprises’ always encourage me to be more diligent about keeping my wardrobe space organized :)

The star of this look appears to be the shades, as I received so many unexpected compliments on them over the weekend! Perhaps I had forgotten how cute they were?! LOL! I think sometimes as lovers of style and fashion connoisseurs- WE often forget how great some of our acquisitions are. Like, getting dressed and being stylish becomes routine, a natural part of who we are and our lives - we may miss the opportunity to take note of/and relish in how fun an ensemble or statement piece really is!

That realization inspired me: Not only do I want to live purposefully in each moment, but I also want to relish more fully in the joy of all my style pieces more fully. Does that make sense? There are so many factors that contribute to being/feeling happiness in life- I aim to take ample advantage of each and every single one of them- including fashion!

Until next time Loves,

XO

Sunnies: Tildon| Earrings: Rocksbox/sign up for free| Tie: Brooks Brothers| White Tee: Ralph Lauren
Vest Liz Claiborne, thrifted| Wood Watch: c/o JORD| Skinny jeans: NYDJ| Suede pumps: Victoria's Secret Catalog 

Sky Blue

Better late than never- that’s my motto! Do you agree?! Some folks are sticklers when it comes to being on time and meeting target deadlines. I admire that – I aspire for it to be my M.O.... one day…. Would you believe that it is challenging for me to stick to deadlines (particularly self-imposed ones)? This struggle has been going on for as long as I can remember. True, there have been periods of my life where for one reason or another I found myself doing better with this challenge versus worse, nonetheless admittedly it requires constant effort on my part.

Take this post as an example. I planned to type it up and post it last night for this morning. Did that happen? No! Why not? Well, while I could provide a list of ‘valid’ factors that may have contributed to the eventual outcome… I won’t because the bottom line is: I just didn’t do it  O_O

So here we are on Friday afternoon (for some of you) and this post finally makes it’s way to the blog. Is it better late than never?! I say YES! Come on, this dress is beautiful! I got so many compliments both times that I wore it. The pattern is garden-like at best and the color reminds me of blue summer skies. I scored this via Gwynnie Bee- and YOU can too! Don’t forget that GB is offering a free trial membership to all of my readers! Learn more & sign up here ;)

As for my life long challenge, there are a number of tips that I’ve learned over the years. The best one to date is to continue to strengthen my time management skills. Instead of over-scheduling and or procrastinating, the idea is to prioritize and get things done! LOL! Easier said than done, but for me the key is to keep trying even when I feel like I’ve fallen off the wagon. What tips have proved helpful for you?

Friday Fact(s): I’m a guest contributor over at AlreadyPretty.com. Sally recently wrote a post that you may find useful: Where to score white tees that are truly opaque enough to be worn alone! Read her personal reviews here.

Until next time,

XO

Sunnies: Nordstrom| Dress c/o Gwynnie Bee (SIGN UP FOR A FREE TRIAL TODAY!)
Stud earrings: Jessica Simpson| Necklace c/o Rocksbox| Scarf:Nordstrom| Sandals: Kate Spade

Minimal Mix + Exciting News

Hello there! How is your week going thus far? Mine is going pretty well, I’m quite happy that we are already at the mid-way point :) Wednesdays mean that FRI-YAY (b.k.a. Friday) is just 48 hours away; YES, the weekend is almost here! Doesn’t awareness that the weekend is closer instantly put you in a good mood?!

Today’s post is the latest installment with the Blogger Babes of Unitedly PLUS (previous posts here, here, and here)! Our theme this month is ‘Mixed Prints’. Mixed prints have become a rotating staple in my wardrobe style preferences; Examples of such have been blogged here a number of times (see instances here, here, here, and here).

Oftentimes the biggest apprehension in reference to pulling off a mixed prints combo is “Where do I begin?”

One of the simplest ways to mix up prints is to work with a classic color duo, i.e. black + white (see another example here). For today’s look I selected a stripe crop top and a vintage high waist houndstooth maxi skirt. Since both are black & white, although different patterns and variations, notice how well they ‘match’ up.

I added a colorful tote & fringed booties to complete the experience. I can totally picture this look modified in several ways, dependent on individual preferences and needs. It feels like a precursor to fall fashion, which is just around the corner…

Don’t forget to check out Sahily of Pretty in Pigment (Instagram) and Sheena of I am She Global (Instagram) today and how they do mixed prints! Use the #UnitedlyPlus hashtag and learn more about each of us and the idea behind our collaboration!

Top: One Clothing| Skirt: Vintage, thrifted|Tote: Kate Spade| Booties: Marshalls| Diamond stud earrings & tennis bracelet: c/o Kevin Jewelers

EXCITING NEWS: I GO FOR THE GOLD!!!

Well...I shop for gold! LOL!!! I’m happy to announce that I am now a Brand Influencer for Kevin Jewelers! 

Kevin Jewelers is a family owned retail jewelry and manufacturing business that was established in 1975.The opening of the company's first store was in Beverly Hills, California. With great precision, care, and high quality materials, Kevin Jewelers offers impressive jewelry + impressive prices. August 5^th-21^st they are offering gold medal pricing in honor of “Go for the Gold”- save up to 75% off all things gold!

Until next time Loves,

XO

FLOWER CHILD

Hey Babes! I have been bursting at the seams to share this post with you since last weekend! You may remember that I talked about attending the Lovesick Launch in my previous post (see here). Today’s post features two pieces that I scooped up while at the Launch ;) 
Here’s what I know about Lovesick:

• Every dollar that you spend helps educate a girl in need
• They offer on trend and affordable fashion
• Styles are available in sizes 10-26 
• You can shop in-store or online

Now on to the fun part- what I’m wearing! I absolutely LUV the way that this look came together!!! The tank top gives me 90’s vibes, but in a good way. When the choker look first came back “in”, I was most certainly not a fan- at all. However, because I loved the color of this tank, I decided to try it on. Boy am I glad that I did!!! 
Note: this top ran large for me, so I sized down…actually I probably could have sized down one more time and still been comfortable. Nonetheless, it looks and feels ah-mazing!
It's time to spend some time on this pair of high waist jeans- the show stopper. I was over the moon in the dressing room with how wonderfully these fit me. Over    t  h  e    m - o - o - n…. Plus size jeans fitted to a curvy pear shape frame? Dreams do come true!!! Initially I took 3 larger sizes into the fitting room with me, I thought that I would have to size up. It’s a brand I’m not familiar with- which usually means that the sizing will be off. I was WRONG. These jeans fit true to size!!! Plus size jeans that fit true to size on a pear shape!!! Can you believe it? Curvy women everywhere rejoice! I left with a size 16 because they are super skinny (especially in the leg), but after wearing them, I definitely see that I would have been just fine in a 14. Even with that in mind, the fit is still fabulous <3 I love that the inseam actually stops at my ankle. Shortys, these jeans were made with us in mind! 
The best part of all: great fitting plus size denim under $50---Girl, these jeans are for YOU!

On a personal note: While taking pictures in this look, I was “feeling myself” in every single sense of the phrase. As women, we are often too hard on ourselves. We may think: I’ll be happy with my body when…I lose my stomach…lose 10 pounds…get a tan…and so on. But the truth of the matter is, there is no better time to be happy with yourself/your body than TODAY. If I could give each and every single one of you a gift, it would be the gift of  full and complete awareness  of your individually unique beauty. It is great to find/see inspiration in a variety of places, especially since the birth of social media…but…I want to let you in on secret: The best source of inspiration comes from within YOU!
Until next time,
XO

Flower crown: DIY| Sunnies: Nordstrom| Cutout Tank Top: c/o Lovesick Fashion| High rise skinny jeans: c/o Lovesick Fashion| Sandals: Kay Unger

Neutral in Summer

My previous blog post (see here) featured one example of how to layer it up during the Summer season. Today’s look features a different variation of what I affectionately think of as, ‘Summer Layers’. Truly, lightweight layers can be most practical during the Summer months, and stylish!

I styled this neutral look for the Lovesick Launch & VIP Blogger Event that I attended last week. If you follow me on Instagram & Twitter you may have caught a glimpse of it already ;) Nonetheless, I wanted to be sure to share this look here on the blog too,as I know for a fact that a number of my readers do not use social media.

I scored this edgy tulle dress from Zara recently (new collection), and I tell you it really was love at first sight! I had absolutely no reservations (often I have to talk myself into or out of making a purchase) whatsoever about making buying it- and for me that is ALWAYS a GREAT sign :)

I opted to pair it with black because it just seemed to add to the edge factor that I was after; I topped it off with this fab hat that I scored a few months ago on vacation. Now, let’s talk about this double banded rhinestone cluster necklace!!! Would you believe that I just happened up on it in Express?! 

That’s right---> Express! I haven’t been in there for ages, however I was on the hunt for blush colored separates and I wandered on in. Of course, I found very little to nothing in my size (they give plus size Babes NO LOVE) – but I did score at the jewelry rack! {{Insert happy dance emoji}} This necklace was exactly the bold statement that I needed for my look, so I scooped it up and happily exited :)
P.S. A special 'Thank you' to Sheena of IAmSheGlobal for snaping these photos for me!
Hat: Nordstrom| Dress: Zara| Necklace: Express| Top & bottom: Old| Shoes: Pour La Victoire| Handbag: Vintage
I had fun at the Lovesick Launch! I also snagged a few goodies, and am looking forward to sharing them with you in the near future ;) Here are a few shots that I snapped while there:

Until next time Loves,
XO

Layered Summers

Bolero hat: Tildon, worn here| Tank top:old| Wrap: Nothing to Wear, Nordstrom| Ring: c/o Rocksbox Jewelry
 Jeans: Melissa McCarthy Seven, c/o Gwynnie Bee|  Red bow flats: Zara| Handbag: Coach,vintage| Watch: c/o JORD Wood Watches

Oftentimes we don’t think about wearing layers during the heat of summer weather months. However, doing so can be quite practical!  All too frequently I find myself freezing indoors despite sweltering temperatures outdoors. I affectionately refer to my office as an ‘arctic blast’, since the temperatures there seem to range about 30 degrees cooler than whatever the current temperature is outside. LOL! Aside from my office, I also usually feel cold when dining in restaurants, and even in a number of retail stores. Imagine that! Do you find this to be your experience too?
A practical solution that I’ve utilized to alleviate the chill factor is to employ layered clothing, even during the summer months. The key for me is to make sure that the layers are practical and functional both indoors and outdoors. Wraps have been an excellent way for me to achieve this objective. The wrap that I am wearing in today’s look is made of a cotton/linen blend and has superb breathability. I simply drape it over both shoulders for more warmth while indoors or wrap it several times around my neck and wear it as a scarf. While outdoors I opt for the cold shoulder affect. If a wrap doesn’t provide enough warmth, I can easily swap out wearing a tank for a top with quarter length sleeves, or better still a long sleeve linen blouse. 
This look actually came together per my desire to wear this red pair of jeans from my latest Gwynnie Bee package =) They’re from Melissa McCarthy’s Seven7 line. The hue of red is saturated to the H-I-L-T and I love it! If I didn’t already have a pair of red jeans that (see here), I am pretty sure that I would have purchased these. That is one of the wonderful things about having a Gwynnie Bee membership! It allows me the convenience of trying out new brands/clothing without making a purchase ;) 
Gwynnie Bee is offering a free trial membership to YOU for a limited time. Sign up here to start your membership and select clothing styles that you’d like to try out- for FREE!
Until next time Babes,
XO