Adorable

I recently came across this website that is just fantastic. They are a mother Daughter team who create such beautiful accessories. http://www.oldsoulnewheart.com/


I just want to look like this woman when I wear bows in my hair. Is that too much to ask?

How wonderfully elegant is this belt!!

Iconic Style: European Chic

“The thing that is different about European chic is that it is effortless and sophisticated,” says designer Diane von Furstenberg. “The important part is the eclectic part – not what you wear, what you punctuate things with.”

I was so excited about this iconic style. I've always secretly believed I could fit in with the upper class society of Britain complete with debutant balls, polo events and tea with the queen. I'm a child of the 90's, which makes me a Disney Princess so the royal family of England is as close as I can dream of coming. Instead of dressing as if I was going to meet the royal family themselves, I decided to dress in the style of any of their friends would have. If I knew a guy who worked for the royal family and got me into all of the formal functions, how would I dress on a normal day of work?

After doing a little bit of google research I found a tip that said, to dress European Chic, " wear unexpected accessories". At first I pondered over this idea and went through all of my little worn necklaces. Unsatisfied with my finds, I sat back for a minute. I decided that this pink cashmere scarf was perfect! It would add a surprise element since we are still in August, and paired with my fake pearl bracelets the look would be elevated to the highest social class. I wore an ivory, a pink, and a white fake pearl bracelet. All of the colors combined the various tones in my outfit and helped to make it all cohesive.

For my footwear, I decided to play with the next tip I found online, " Know your faux". I must be honest, I don't own any faux fur of any kind but I do have a few items in a great animal print. These zebra print shoes are in a light tan and cream and worked just perfectly with this outfit. Despite their tiny heel they were comfortable for a day at work, and the little peak of animal print added a hint of a wild side. I think as a member of the royal family, one wouldn't be able to help but to let their less refined side show in some of their style choices, and shoes like this let the world know you aren't always so refined.

When I think of princess wear I am drawn to light pink's and ivories. I think it those are the colors of dainty women, and I wanted to not only utilize them but to play with them a bit. My blue cardigan helped to add a bit of a contast and worked well with my light blue searsucker skirt. You almost can't even see the vertical lines of the skirt because they are so subtle, but I find that pairing the skirt with blue helps to brin gout the extra pattern.

Final Evaluation: I really loved this look. I thought that it wasn't too far off of my normal style, very refined and classic. To help step out of my comfort zone I had to take the quote from Diane Von Furstenburg to heart, and think outside of the basic pieces. Without the accessories this would have been a t-shirt, cardigan, and skirt which would have been my normal everyday outfit. I enjoyed thinking outside of the box and will utilize these ideas to add something special to an otherwise boring look. Lesson Learned. Even the simpilest of outfits can be made princess-ready with a few well placed accessories.

Iconic Styles: California Casual take 2

I had changed out of my first California Casual look pretty proud of what I had managed to pull together. Being Wednesday night I had big plans with my friends to watch a weeks worth of Big Brother episodes and I was anxious to change into some comfortable clothes before dinner. As I headed into my closet, I had to stop myself. If I really want to try something knew, I’m going to have to try it completely. I’m not trying these new looks to give myself something to blog about (though it does happen to be convenient,) I am really trying to see my wardrobe items differently. Just because I wasn’t headed to work didn’t mean I shouldn’t still continue the challenge. So I turned around headed back into my closet and tried to make another California Casual look from my mostly preppy wardrobe.

It seemed almost easy to start with my ripped jeans. My visions of Farrah Fawcett in her denim cut-off's was a great inspiration for the look, but was not appropriate for the office. For a quiet dinner with friends however, my favorite jeans would be a perfect update. After slipping on the jeans and this tee I couldn't decide what would be great accessories to go with. I had to keep in mind that I would be spending my night on the couch which means hanging jewels and loud bangles would not be a convenient option. This scarf caught the corner of my eye, and at first I shook my head. We are still in August and scarves are just not an option for this weather. But than I considered the option again. Why not? It's not as if my nice scarves are used to keep my neck warm, I love them because of the element they bring to an outfit, and this is no different.

With an orange tee and a brown, green and purple scarf already decided on I headed towards my shoes. To stick with the style I wanted to find some great dressy shoes. Remembering that they would only be used to get me from apartment to car and into another apartment, I decided heels were impractical. I would take them off upon entering their house and with handfuls of food to carry in they just wouldn't make sense. My navy blue polka dot flats were a great decision. They were comfortable which I think is a big part of the California Casual look and yet they were sweet and could easily be dressed up.

With my navy shoes on foot I headed back to my closet. The outfit was missing something. I just didn't feel ready to be photographed by the paparazzi, as I assume most California Casual icons of today would be. This jacket was exactly what the outfit needed. I picked up this little boys tuxedo jacket a number of months ago from the Goodwill. The shoulders are a little tight, which makes it hard to lift my hands above my head. Luckily I wasn't doing much exercising while we caught up on our favorite addiction, so the jacket added warmth and helped to keep the look dressy.

Evaluation: I absolutely loved this look. It didn't take me long to put it together, which really made me feel like I was already getting the swing of things. By combining the detailed shirt with a scarf of a different color, I think I kept the outfit interesting which was something I was worried about with California Casual in the beginning. Dressing up a t-shirt isn't hard to do. Making a t-shirt and flats look dressy and interesting can be difficult. I really felt not only comfortable in this outfit but comfortable with my appearance in this outfit. I can definitely rock the California Casual style.

Iconic Looks: California Casual

I’ve decided that to really get out of my fashion rut, I’m going to have to stretch my thinking of dressing. The different iconic looks are giving me a guideline, but it is up to me to consider different ways to make the look, well look. When I first read the term California Casual, I immediately thought of Lauren Conrad. She is one of my favorite LA girls, and I always enjoy looking at pictures of her, in her casual clothes that always look so pulled together. The list I have suggests thinking of Farrah Fawcett, but I didn’t want to go for that 80’s daisy duke look. I’m still new to the ‘trying different styles’ game. I did a little googling and found this information about California Casual Fashion:

“Think California Casual means high street clothing. Don’t come off dressy at all. Great jeans, tees or tanks, be funky and wear some sassy dress shoes.”

So with these concepts in mind, I started to pull together my California Casual look. There were a few things I had to keep in mind. My look had to be office appropriate, and it had to work for a busy day. I had a doctor's appointment in the morning so I needed to be professional and flexible with my look.

I haven't worn this blazer in a while, and felt that it would really bring an added element to the look. A simple white tee and necklace just wouldn't be California cool enough. To make the khaki blazer even more interesting I added a yellow cardigan underneath. I tucked the back of the cardigan behind the jacket, and rolled the sleeves up over the jacket so instead of looking like I had layer, they looked like they were meant to be together. I loved how the yellow in the sweater really played up the yellow in the necklace beads. These beads also don't get much wear, because they sit funny when worn. I liked the idea of some funky jewelry and thought it made the outfit a bit more pulled together.

The outfit itself completely revolved around these shoes. When I read the words, " Wear sassy dress shoes", I knew that this challenge would be totally do-able for me. I purchased these heels last fall from Payless for just a few dollars. Since than they haven't gotten much wear. I have a hard time making the 3 colors in the shoes work with much of anything. After wearing them around the house for a bit, I decided that my yellow necklace would work with them and from there an outfit was born. I really felt that the Mary Jane style of the shoe in and of itself was casually dressy and worked perfectly with my final vision.

Final Evaluation: I had almost written this style off when I first looked at the list. It seemed too easy, and almost too casual. In the end I liked having to make casual fancy, and I loved getting to wear these shoes. Funky shoes are great but sometimes hard to pair. With a simple tee and jeans and lots of great accessories I was able to pull a look together that is completely different from my normal. I really think that California Casual is a look I can pull off, and I think that this look could work in the winter months as well, something I was at first skeptical of. California Casual may just become one of my regular go to looks. Maybe we'll soon have a Lauren Conrad of our own in Upstate New York.

Getting out of the Fashion Slump...

I have found myself in a bit of a fashion conundrum lately. I don’t know if it’s the weather or the work stresses, but I find myself becoming more and more boring with each passing day. It has become almost too easy to get dressed in the morning. The formula is simple, a cotton shirt, a skirt on bottom and some accessories to make it pop and I’m out the door and ready to go. I think it’s a sign of change because a fashion rut a year ago was not as stylish as this one has been. In contemplating my boring dressing lately, I’ve realized that I am anxious for winter. With the cooler weather comes the opportunity for layering, which allows me to experiment with all sorts of clothing combinations. With the temperature so high lately the most layering I do is to throw a cardigan in my purse for fear of air conditioners. I often flip through magazines, read tons and fashion blogs and keep an inspiration journal to help put a little pep in my ever evolving fashion step. Now those things seem to be having a difficult time from keeping my dressing engine running. It was in searching for some inspiration that I came across the book, “The lucky guide to mastering any Style”. I have a few fashion books, and find this one to be just as useful as the other Lucky editions. This book helps define 10 different iconic looks and how the can be worn in everyday life. It got me thinking, how would I define my style? I have long avoided this question because I think the answer changes from month to month. Looking back on this summer, my style has been largely country club preppy. I have worn lots of khaki, boating shoes, cotton shirts and detailed cardigans. This look has gotten me through, but it may be time I again stretch my fashion wings and try something news.

The following are the 10 iconic looks featured in the book:
1. Euro Chic (think Catherine Deneuve and silk blouses)
2. California Casual (think Farah Fawcett and denim cutoffs)
3. Rock and Roll (think Debbie Harry and leather jackets)
4. Posh Eclectic (think Helena Christensen and pink ruffled skirts)
5. Mod (think Twiggy and A-line mini dresses)
6. American Classic (think Jackie O and the little black dress)
7. Bombshell (think Marilyn Monroe and fitted pencil skirts)
8. Arty Slick (think Bjork and asymmetrical tops)
9. Bohemian (think Stevie Nicks and peasant tops)
10. Gamine (think Audrey Hepburn and trench coats)

None of these looks are listed as ‘Country Club Prep’ which to means I’m going to have to get a little creative. I’m interested to look at my closet with different eyes. Will I be able to stretch my Preppy closet to work with all 10 of these looks? I’m excited to utilize my summer wardrobe in ways that I haven’t yet this summer. I think I will also try this challenge in November as well. To see how 1 look can translate from season to season. For now I will have to put my thinking cap on, get out my little black dresses and leather jackets and start thinking iconic. How can a plain summer wardrobe look like so much more?


( For some inspiration of the iconic challenge kind, take a look at Kasmira over at What I Wore Today: http://whatiwore2day.blogspot.com/search/label/lucky%20guide%20to%20mastering%20any%20style)

Protection

While I was on vacation, Johnny did the same and headed to Long Island to spend a long weekend with his family. He had a great time and returned with not only a tan, but also their Christmas gift for me, an arrow necklace.

I fell in love instantly with the necklace and couldn't wait to display it. The back of the necklace has the word ' protection'. It is a great accessory to add to my collection, and I decided I wanted to wear it right away. This bracelet is also new. It displays images of various saints and kings and while the style isn't new and has been around for awhile, I have been on the look out for one of my own. I decided to pair them together, not only to play up the colors of the outfit, but to surround myself in protection and strength. I am a Christian but not a Catholic. Even still having a constant reminder of faith and strength kept me calm all day. It was a peaceful reminder of the bigger things in life.

I just love the necklace. I immediately brought it to my closet so I could contemplate what exactly to wear it with. I wanted to really play up the arrow and tried to decide how to best do that. I decided that it would make the most sense to dress as a current Pocahontas would dress. I know it sounds silly, but the protection of the arrow made me feel immediately like the most colorful of the Disney Princess'. My closet is lacking in brown's and I just can't wear a loan cloth to work so instead I decided to stick with earthy colors. I decided my khaki skort and lace brown Cami were a good place to start. Pocahontas wears a turquoise necklace with her leather outfit but I just couldn't make the turquoise work. Instead I decided to go with this deep red. It reminds me of wildflowers in the forest, and in the case of this outfit, red flowers on the dirt path. I kept it simple with my brown flats, but in the end I would call it a success. I loved displaying my new necklace and I loved dressing up, and keeping it casual at the same time. Being surrounded in a world of protection and strength I got through my day, and managed to look like a perfect forest scene while doing so.

Vacation Part II

The weather was perfect every day we were on vacation. Usually it rains at least one night, and while our first day there they predicted thunderstorms all week, instead we had lots of sun and perfectly cool evenings. I was glad, because not only would it allow for much better tanning weather, but also because it meant I could finally wear this sundress! I picked this dress up at Kmart a few months ago when I scored the deals of the century, (http://sequinissues.blogspot.com/2009/07/deals-of-century.html). I needed the extra item to be able to use my gift card, and I knew this dress would be perfect for Ocean City. I try to avoid dresses with sleeves, especially sleeves like this. At first I feared that it would make me look broad, but instead the embroidery balanced it out and made it very feminine. The cotton fabric was so comfortable and made it a perfect mini-golf outfit.

This was absolutely my favorite outfit from the trip. What was ironic was that this outfit was completely unplanned. This was the night before we were leaving and I was almost out of clean clothes. Not only that but I woke up so sick that morning that I spent my day napping on the beach and taking Advil Cold. I was so sick in this picture I was sure my head was going to fall right off. I was really proud of myself for putting this outfit together so last minute. When you travel you only have a limited selection, and while I do pre-plan my outfits like you should, I was 1 outfit short. I didn't mean to pack the coordinating shoes and cardigan at first, and had never thought of putting the purple shirt with the blue cardigan. In the end it was perfect. I owe a lot of my dressing creativity to joining the fashion world blog, and this outfit was no different. A year ago I never would have naturally paired these colors together, but with some lessons from academichic.com and the willingness to try new combinations, I'm surprised by how easily I have put different items together. The medicine got me threw and we enjoyed a perfect Irish dinner to complete the trip.

Until next time Ocean City....

Vacation Part 1

Every year, I take a family vacation with my best friend and her mother and almost stepfather to Ocean City Maryland. It's just a tradition we started years ago, and she and I both agreed that this would likely be our last year. Luckily it was our best trip to date. The weather was perfect, the sun was shinning bright and all of our food choices were fantastic. I spent all day every day laying in the beach and swimming in the waves so a bathing suit became my only wardrobe. Each night after showers and a quick nap we would head out to dinner and that's where I got to stretch my fashion loving muscles.

The heat made dressing pretty simple. Something light and airy for our walks on the boardwalk and a cardigan to help block the restaurant air conditioner. After traveling all day last Thursday we only got to spend a little time on the beach, which meant my skin hadn't soaked up too much sun at that point. After a day in the sun often times I can swear that my skin gives off more heat than the sun produces and I try to keep my clothing light so I don't overheat during dinner. The first night was the one and only chance I had to wear my jeans. A fun shirt, a light cardigan and some great sandals later I was ready for dinner at one of our favorite places, J.R.'s BBQ.

The next night we had something a little different planned. Ocean City is a unique water town because it is actually a little island. One side of the island is the ocean while the other side boasts the bay, and much calmer water. The sun rises each morning over the ocean and sets each night over the bay. We had dinner at a great restaurant in which we got to sit right below the sunset. We ate right on a deck which gave us great views and allowed us to take some great photos. With dreams of capturing striking sunsets in mind, I knew that we would do our best to eat outside. This would mean no cardigan necessary and a light sundress would be the perfect choice. (http://sequinissues.blogspot.com/2009/07/boating-on-his-birthday.html) Last time I wore this dress was for one of Johnny' birthday celebrations. Than I paired it with a bright necklace, but this time I decided to play up my ever darkening tan and go with a black and silver long necklace. The view was amazing. The colors were so bright in the sky and they completely complimented my dress. Nothing is better than coordinating with the surrounding scenery.

Stripes and Polka Dots

With my vacation coming up so quick last week, I had a lot of meetings planned for last Wednesday to help everyone be prepared for my departure. With so many meetings I wanted to look a bit more put together than normal. Even if my mind was running through lists of things I would need to get done both at work and at home before I left, I didn't want my outside appearance to reflect that. I'm a little torn on these pants still. They are a dark denim and I just love the length, but I question them every time I wear them. Maybe this length isn't right for my height, and maybe the dark denim comes off looking a little cheesy. Either way I can't dispute the comfort. My co-worker has admitted that he hates/fears Capri's on women period. He just thinks they all look like high waters. For this reason I respected his wishes and avoided shorter pants on days I knew he would be around. We have a great work environment at my office so I didn't mind doing so. Now with the heat creeping higher and higher in New York I had to tell him to face his fear of the Capri's! These pants are dressy and comfortable and I can't deny that any longer.

When the Tiffany Heart bracelet became big years ago, I liked them but knew it was never a look I could pull off. I have very tiny wrists and a big chunky bracelet like that would take up most of my arm. This find was a compromise for me. Thanks to Lia Sophia I was able to find this dainty bracelet that not only clips on to what ever link works best, making it a great fit for me, but the little heart on the end reminds me of it's chunky counterparts. When I ordered this bracelet, I didn't know it was from their little girl's jewelery selection. I was a little embarrassed at first, but not I love the little touch of elegant lady instead of the touch of little girl as I had at first feared.

These shoes just never get as much wear as they deserve. I picked these up at Pay less I couldn't resist the progression of lots of polka dots fading into the sporadic polka dots. It's not easy to see from here but they slowly trail off towards the back of the shoes which are completely white. They were $5. A great price, a great design and a great shoe find.

I figured since I was going to be sporting some polka dots on my feet, the best top option would be stripes! I know that most people would technically say that they are opposites, and therefore don't belong in the same outfit, but that is exactly why I put them together. With the plain pants in between I thought the two conflicting patterns would make for an interesting outfit. With the white and black to tie them together I knew that it would all work together.

Johnny doesn't follow my blog. He's welcome to of course, he just isn't much of a web surfer and I am not one of his visited sites. He does occasionally see my photos when he's going through my camera. He usually comments on how he doesn't understand why I stand bow legged, or jokes about how I take so many outfit photos. Yesterday he surprised me when he came across these photos and announced that he loved this outfit! From the beginning of our relationship he has always told me that he appreciates my style, and knows that I like dressing so for the most part he stays out of interfering with my personal touches ( except when it comes to cardigans. He hates my cardigans!) This is the first time he's ever mentioned a blog outfit when he sees a photos. He often compliments me in person but I was impressed by his photo compliment as well. It's always nice to feel like all of your efforts were worth it!

Inspiration Calendar

I was largely lacking in inspiration last week. I left for vacation early last Thursday ( which explains my blogging hiatus) so I spent the beginning of the week packing and cleaning, and getting everything in order for my 5 days off. To help me get through I turned to the trusty July Inspiration Calendar that Kim from Fab Finds puts out each month. ( www. fabfindsunder50.com) I'm still using the one from last month and haven't updated yet, but the outdated calendar really helped me get dressed last week. One of her day's suggested crisp white pants and a blue shirt. These pants I bought years ago and they only come out about once at most twice a year. I am just not very confident in white pants. I am afraid they are a little too young for me, a little to club appropriate. I was excited at the challenge to make them office appropriate. Plus these pants feel very Miami to me, and so in an effort to try something new and get mentally prepared for vacation the white pants went to work. I purposely paired the pants with a dark blue very conservative shirt. I thought it would help balance out the look, and bring it out of the dark bar and into the office smoothly.

Even in an attempt to make the pants more adult, I couldn't help but to pair them with this bracelet. I get so much use out of this bracelet, even if it does feel a little club ready in it's own right. The necklace usually gets worn with dresses or with formal outfits so I thought the pairing of the two might work well together. I liked the look over all and liked pushing the envelope of what is and isn't work appropriate.

Best of Both Worlds

When I woke up, all I knew was that I wanted to wear my star wedges. The rest of the outfit just worked itself around that. When it comes to wedges, I find that cuffed jeans are the way to go for me. I like how the length of the jeans when cuffs accents the shoes, but doesn't down play the length of my actual legs which could make them look stubby.

I picked these shoes up from Wal-Mart about 7 years ago. They were on clearance for $3. This was way before I believed in high heels. In fact for many years I only wore flats, mostly because I hated being taller than everyone else in the room. Now I embrace high heels and wear them almost exclusively. I liked that these wedges were comfortable and still not to high, so I held my breathe paid the $3 and tried to walk in them once or twice. I thought at the time that they were a little rock star. Now 7 years later, I think they are a little Hannah Montana. I still love the shoes, but somehow in the last few years, younger girls have suddenly become more stylish which makes me big girl wedges seem a little Disney princess appropriate. I still wear them but the 3 times I mentioned my fear of them being too, ' Hannah Montana' everyone agreed. Especially Johnny. It won't stop me from wearing them of course, I just may need these shoes to lay low for another year or two until another tween phase has come and gone.

The shoes are a light denim fabric, so I wanted to add some color to my outfit and this mustard yellow shirt and a coral cardigan were an easy pairing. I must be honest a year ago I probably wouldn't have put these colors together but thanks to the ladies at, academichic, ( www.academichic.com) I've really experimented with a variety of different colors. Paired with the silver geometric necklace I think I was able to add both interest and color to a great pair of Miley Cyrus approved shoes.

Secret Garden

I am ashamed to admit how easy this outfit was. The skirt does a lot of the work for the outfit so a few simple accessories and some great shoes and the outfit feels complete. I guess that's the advantage of a great print skirt. It takes some of the work out of getting dressed, I just have to be careful that it also doesn't take some of the excitement out of getting dressed too.

I knew the outfit didn't need much extra, but I wanted to wear this bracelet. I love that I can adjust the size depending on which link I hook it through. The circles look like they are of a snake-skin design. I like the little touch of whimsy, and the little extra details.

These shoes are a special pair. Originally these had a big yellow bow on them which I took right off. http://sequinissues.blogspot.com/2009/05/yellow-bow-shoes.html. It wasn't that I didn't like the bow, they just seemed like too much. This is really the first time I've worn them since their re-model. There are still a few spots which I can tell are where the bow was originally, but no-one else seemed to notice. I liked the mustard yellow next to the green and browns. It made me think of a secret garden, sitting right in the middle of my office. And who doesn't enjoy a flower or two?

Johnny Cash

For Johnny's birthday about a month ago, I thought long and hard about what to get him. I finally decided on a guitar. He used to play his old roomates guitar all the time and I was excited to bring everyday music back into his life. I spent a fair amount of time researching and deciding which guitar would be best. In the end I found the prettiest yamaha guitar. He opened it, smiled and asked if I knew that he already owned 5 guitars. They are all in safe keeping stored in the basement. I had no idea. I felt like the stupidest girlfriend, but instead he was excited about exchanging the birthday guitar for an acoustic electric, the one kind of guitar he does not own. Last week we headed to the music store and as he moved guitar to guitar he finally fell in love with this beauty. So maybe the first time wasn't the charm, but who doesn't love exchange policies? Plus now Johnny has a gorgeous new guitar and just can't seem to put down. My own personal Johnny Cash.

That Vest

Like most women, there are certain ways I like to pick out my outfits the night before. Usually my technique is not very exciting. I can usually walk into my closet, find an item I am really excited to wear and leave it on the shelf. I'm usually so tired my the end of the day and so ready to face the day in the morning that I enjoy being to make my outfit decision last minute, with one piece to use as inspiration. In today's case it was my one and only vest. I purchased this vest years ago, much to the disdain of my friend and shopping companion. Normally we agree on style choices, but she hated this vest from the minute I took it off the rack. 6 or 7 years ago, when I purchased this, vests just weren't as popular as they are now, and while I think it is very stylish, she hates this item. She often jokes about my ugly vest even though I have made it a point not to wear it around her in over a year. The few times she has seen me in it, she always comments " I'm again surprised that I like it more than I thought I would. It really isn't that bad," And while I know she will continue to poke fun at my vest with only the best friendly jest intentions, it always makes me smile when I can prove to her that my ugly vest is pretty awesome.

I loved the brown suede material of the vest and wanted to emphasize the color in my outfit with some simple accessories. These bracelets I won in a giveaway a few weeks ago, and I have already gotten so much use out of them. I love that they are a variety of brown tones, and I love that they sparkle so, especially when the sun hits them.

I decided that if I was going to go with a brown look, I had to throw in my brown wedges. These were the best $7 spent this summer as I have already worn them over 10 times. The height doesn't bother me and instead it helps to make a standard pair of jeans look just a little bit dressier.

Battle of the Shoes

I usually don't have any problems deciding what shoes to wear. In fact I normally dress from the bottom up. I always know exactly which shoes to wear with any given outfit, so when I was a little stumped last week I was more than a little confused. Johnny had a family reunion I was attending. We knew going in that he also wouldn't know many of the guests so I couldn't use him as a resource to help me decide.

It was an easy choice of clothing. It was hot, though I brought a cardigan just in case, and I thought the khaki skort would help me look presentable, but still able to play a little volleyball if they were going to be a down and dirty kind of family. I was fairly confident that the festivities would be outside, so while heels were out, I knew that these wedges were an option. They made the outfit a bit classier and a bit more dressed up. Of course they also made me 6 feet tall.

Than there were the flat options. These silver sandals have gotten a lot of use this season. And while I loved the little shine they offered, I was afraid they were too simple. I'm probably the only person who fears shiny shoes are too casual. In the end after lots of walking around my apartment in 1 of each of the shoes, I decided on the flip flops. I figured that they would help me stay at the same height as the rest of the crowd. Because I was meeting so many people and wanted to make a good impression, I didn't want the first one to be intimidating. In the end it was a good choice too. Most of the guests were wearing sandals of some kind and the party took place under a tent in a backyard.

I decided despite whatever shoes I wore, my necklace would make enough of a first impression for me. A little girly with a little edge. I loved the colors of the necklace and how they emphasized the silver shoes. I think the wedges with the necklace may have been too much looking back. Maybe accessories to be saved for a Rainier more formal day.

Big Brother Attire

Some friends of mine, and I absolutely love Big Brother. My aunt introduced me to it a few seasons ago and I was almost immediately hooked. Now I spend all year waiting for the summer for the new season to begin. Well the time has finally come! As much as I love the show, it is quite the commitment. It is on 3 nights a week, for an hour each episode. I love being able to enjoy the show so often in a week, but it becomes very hard to keep up-to-date. This year, my friends and I decided to get smart and enjoy a Big Brother evening. We save all of the episodes for 1 night each week. Every Wednesday we get together at each other's houses rotating each week. They bring dinner one week while I provide drinks at my house and than the next week dinner is on me with drinks their responsibility at their place.

The tomboy in me ( who am I kidding, I don't have an ounce of tom boy in me!) ... The tomboy I always wished I was as a kid sometimes sneaks out in my love of t-shirts and jeans. I will always remember in high school, when a close guy friend of mine announced that girls always looked much hotter in a hoodie in jeans than they ever did in high heels and a dress. While I can't say that I necessarily think I look at my peak in my casual outfits, I will almost always choose to wear them over dresses. Especially when it comes to a night full of television and pizza. There is no occasion as special as the night I look forward to all week.

Even though I threw on my jeans and a T-shirt as soon as I got home, I just can't shake the fashionista in me. So my white flats and a matching necklace made a great addition. I have a few different cotton t-shirts, mostly from various places I've visited. I specifically make sure I always buy one that I will get a lot of use out of and that has something interesting about it. Ocean City Maryland is the home of my vacation week each summer, and hopefully where I will be spending a week starting in just a few days. For now I will wear my bright yellow shirt, enjoy my pizza and my white shoes and take in all of the Big Brother Drama.