Creating Outfits with Toms

I like the idea of having themed blog posts, so I have been collecting outfit photos and noticed these all have Toms Shoes in them. Toms are a new thing for me, I've only had mine a couple months. One of the things I like about them, besides the cute factor, is that they have really nice soles and arch support. "Beauty is pain" is a mantra I've accepted in conjunction with my footwear, happily, Toms do not require me to chant as I take each step.

The jeans I am wearing are called "slouchy skinny" and they are by Gap. I love the beat up look of them and, with a fun F21 tank, they are the perfect casual accessory to my Toms.

This shirt has been sitting in my closet since I saw an unflattering picture of me in it. I had made up my mind that, if I didn't find a cute way to wear it, it was going to the thrift store. This is something I have to do from time to time or nothing will leave my closet.

Great news! After adding the vest, I now love this top! Defining the waist and adding some pizazz, my NY&co vest was the chicken soup to this sick top. You may also notice that I have big, fun necklaces on in each shot. When wearing something as androgynous as Toms, adding a little femininity can go a long way.

Work Day to Date Night

I was feeling super frumpy and knew I needed to spice things up. The quickest way I know to get me in a good mood is change the way I look. Though I try and stay away from hoochie, short shorts and a long tank top are one of my favorite summer looks. Keeping the tank top long and full coverage helps to stay away from trashy. My shorts also have a tailored look to them with the single cuff on the hem.

I always like the option of having something that can go over my tank top. Looking into the far reaches of my closet, I found this short-sleeve jacket. My issue with it is it gets bunchy in the middle with the buttons, sash and fitted fabric. People knot the ends of trench coat sashes, so why not knot the ends of my sash? It is something different for me but I am happy that I finally got a chance to wear this jacket.

My solution to easy, cute hair is to simply pin back one side with crossed bobby pins. By french braiding with small sections, starting with the crown, a small braid is created which helps the hair stay in place.

Accessories!

Black and denim are the perfect base for adding a funky edge like my favorite, vintage coral necklace and cork peep-toe wedges. It would be easy to add lots of extras to this outfit, since it is simple, but by choosing the accessories deliberately allow for a sleek sexy look.

59 Days of Style Day 48, 49 & 50: One Dress, Five Outfits and Toms Shoes!

My friend told me Saturday that, since I was painting my bathroom and not wearing a cute outfit on Friday, I needed to make up the day with an extra outfit.  I had some time on my hands so I decided to take one “fancy” dress and make 5 different outfits out of it. 

The dress with nude peep-toe heels.

This is the outfit Minh Le put together for me. Love the volume of the sleeves (Day 4 Day 11 Day 33) to balance the skirt. Nude fats; a great way to make this outfit versatile.

Here is a quirky option of adding a mustard jacket (Day 1, Day 13, Day28)to the coral and white dress. The navy scarf brings the outfit together and adds warmth.

Casual look, even beach appropriate, with a denim motorcycle jacket (Day 5, Day 6, Day 19, Day 34) and gladiator sandals.

I would wear this look to work with the Steve Madden cognac boots and black jacket (Day 17).

Adding an antique broach adds polish.

Here is what I ended up wearing. These coral shoes are the shoes I wore at my wedding. The “skirt” and shoes are feminine while the jacket is casual. Perfect for today!

 

Saturday was lunch, shopping and a birthday party.

 

I love wearing this belt around my hips, never thought of this before meeting my stylist. I’m a big fan of Toms shoes. Super comfy and a nice alternative to nude flats, if there can be such a thing. 

Outfit with my Gap shawl collar sweater= slouchy-comfy!

59 Days of Style Day 44 & 45: Forever 21 and Michael Kors Stripes

Since I'm nearing the end of my 59 day challenge, I am looking for ways to improve my blog and getting ready for my next challenge/ topic. One of the things I have done is added the response buttons. If you would like to leave a reaction to the posts, you can click the buttons at the bottom. Thanks!

Yesterday I had a casual work lunch. The weather is still wavering between cold and warm so a sweater and sandals it is! (Don't mind my dachshunds in the photos, they just get excited when I get ready to leave)

I love this stripped Forever 21 top ((Day 10 Day 23) with a cropped cardigan (Day 22). The stripped sleeve peeking out of the cardigan keeps this look fresh. This Gap corduroy pencil skirt (Day 7) is a great basic. My favorite part of this outfit has to be my vintage jade beads my husband gave me. If you are curious why there is an extra thick white stripe at the bottom of my shirt, it is just my white tank top showing up. The top is a little thin and too short for me to wear with this skirt- the white tank is key!

I'm working from home today and going to my friend's pilates class tonight. Not in the mood to get all dressed up just to change, I put on this cute, gold-stripped Michael Kors top over my yoga pants and tank top. It's a bit chilly today so I added my sheepskin boots (sadly, not real Uggs) and the hat my Grandma knitted me. (She has started selling them, so let me know if you want one)
Close up of the hat:

If you are like me, you don't like a bunch of makeup on while working out. What I like to do is put on a little concealer (Arbonne makes the creamiest, full-coverage concealer that doesn't dry chalky) with a a bit of mineral powder foundation and mascara. I feel fresh but not over done.

59 Days of Style Day 39, 40 & 41: Personalizing Outfits

It is unbelievable that today is day 41 of my 59 day journey to 1. not buy any new clothes 2. not wear the same outfit twice. At this point, I assumed it would become more difficult for me to reach in my closet and pull out something new. Being bored and discouraged were part of the way I used to get dressed. Having Minh Le work with me to do a complete wardrobe overhaul changed the way I see my closet and myself. Today I saw Minh for the first time since the endeavor, about 6 weeks ago. When I saw her new asymmetrical hair do, I knew I wanted one too. After getting my hair done I realized that that is exactly what she does- inspires you with her style then helps you translate it into a personal look. If anyone is interested in a free consultation with her, give her a call 760-672-1215 (she told me I could post her phone number), she is wonderful to work with. I encourage anyone who has been inspired by my blog to take the next step and call Minh. Alright, now on with the outfits!

 My Mom bought this white cardigan (Day 26) at T.J. Max forever ago. I keep almost getting rid of it, who knows why, but it keeps popping its way into my outfits! This is my alternative to jeans and a T-shirt; jeans, a tank top and a crop cardigan.

Adding unique, vintage jewelry to a casual outfit is my way to personalize my look. Here are a pair of turquoise earrings my Grandma tossed my way in one of her famous "things I don't want anymore" bags.

When I was looking for these earrings, I came across this ring my Grandma had also given me. It is a hand-made brass whale ring. I don't know what it is about animal rings, but they make me happy!

Not sure this outfit was the best idea. I love the flower print silk top by sanctuary but it was battling it out with my skirt and not staying long. Not wanting to try another outfit by the end of the day, I put my chain cardigan (Day 9, Day 14 Day 15) over.

Today!

Going to see Minh, I wanted to wear something cute. Visiting Carlsbad from Temecula, I wanted to have layer options. Here I have on my black twill pants from Ann Taylor (Day 30), sundress from Anthropologie (Day 14 Day 26) and Forever 21 cardigan (Day 20 Day 38) with my wonderful Steve Madden nude flats. Side note, the nude flats were the first item that Minh had me buy. I was skeptical to have such a simple shoe but they are so wonderful!