59 Days of Style Day 51-55: Shorts and My New Favorite Business Outfit

With only 4 days left of my challenge I've started to slack off. I am amazed that I've gone this far. Honestly, I sort of thought I would document my outfits for a couple days then stop. What happened is it has become a habit to take pictures of myself everyday.

Monday was warm in SoCal, so shorts were a must. I was inside most of the day, so I added a thin, long-sleeve Gap top. A great way to let my feet breath, and keep them comfortable was to add my new favorite TOMS shoes.

Monday evening I went on a date night with my husband. I swapped out my top for a sweater (Day 12 Day 28) and scarf.

Tuesday I set up for a trade show. It is always a difficult balance between wearing something that you can move in and is work appropriate. This has now become one of my favorite outfits. My stylist, Minh, had the hem let out of these $12 Gap pants. The H&M tank top was about $5 and the Forever 21 striped sweater was $22. I personalized the look with my vintage beads and nude flats.

In my work shirt, ready for the trade show!

Yesterday was my wonderful Mom's birthday :) I ran errands before our family dinner, so I needed a look that would work at a nice restaurant and Target. I wore my favorite sundress (Day 14 Day 26 & Day 41) and black jacket.

On the 5th I will be going to San Pedro in the Caribbean. Why not try out some of my outfits for you guys? This one will probably be good for site seeing and mini-adventures. The shorts are from Old Navy and I do have to tell you, if you are looking for shorts, Old Nave has millions of options.

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!

 

59 Days of Style Day 30-33: Ruffles, Solids, Florals and Stripes!

I can't believe I've received 936 page views, almost 1,000! Thank you all for your interest in my humble blog. Looking back over the past 4 days worth of outfits shows me how "all-over-the-place" I've been this week. From working to playing, I've had fun trying to put new things together. It is starting to be a real challenge as I've worn all of my favorite pieces and outfits and am now having to try hard to think of new looks. Maybe that explains the random mix of outfits this week!


Monday: Ruffles

This is how I wore this outfit, since I had to be walking around the property, boots were a must. Another sale item from Anthropologie, this ruffle shirt is lots of fun. I love adding a little frill to an outfit. I was working, so I added a plain Gap cardigan and my Anne Taylor twill black skinny pants.

 Alternative look adding some fun peep-toe pumps.

Tuesday: Solids

Super tired Tuesday morning, I couldn't remember what outfits I had already worn. The forecast said it was going to be warm, but I wanted to cover my tattoo on my arm. The fix? Pleated 3/4 sleeve top with wide-leg trouser jeans. A fun bracelet added some razamataz. (Yes, the top and pants are both from Gap and yes, the cost was about $35 combined.)

Wednesday: Florals

Alright, this is one of my all-time favorite outfits. Why? Because this is the dress I bought for my engagement party and have only worn at weddings ever since. Minh, my stylist, told me to throw this cardigan (Day 4 Day 11 ) on and ta-da! daytime AND party time outfit. Grey leggings also help make this outfit casual and more conservative. Gosh, Erin, you sure wear those boots a lot! Well, I love them, so there ;)

Close up of the fun floral-lace pattern. If you want to wear floral, but aren't in to floral tones and patters, pick something like this monochromatic cut-out layered material.













Thursday: Stripes

It's hard to deny that stripes are in style. I, like most people, have a healthy fear of stripes. They can make you look bigger, which nobody wants. However, they are just too cute and stylish to let the classic look go on without us. My other striped shirt (Day 10, Day 23) has cool stripes that go over the shoulder and break up the horizontal lines. This top has small stripes and is nice and long. Since I was in a cozy mood, I chose to break it up with a long cardigan. The rolled up pants and cute flats were inspired by my friend, Heather. Cozy, cute day? Yes, please!

May you be inspired to embrace your eclectic side. Chose a bold piece and have fun!

59 Days of Style Day 27-29: Balancing Volume

I love playing with volume! Ruffles, chunky knits and patterned skirts are lots of fun, however, it is easy to let them overwhelm your figure. 

On Friday, I wanted to wear something pretty, like this top. This is a very feminine top and, as you know, I'm not one to be girlie head-to-toe. I love this Anthropologie top, but I want to still look like me. By wearing some boyfriend, "broken in" jeans (Day 3), I am able to stay casual yet pretty. 

A chunky knit sweater and scarf are wonderful when going to be outside at night, (my brother's 30th birthday party) but easy to make sloppy. Skinnies (Day 13, Day 18 and  Day 23) and boots are the way to balance this look. It is also fun to play with colors. I knew I wanted to wear this scarf, so I chose neutral colors, then I realized I needed a jacket. Trying to still stay fun and fresh, I laid out my outfit and tried different jackets. Surprising to me, this mustard yellow jacket (Day 1, Day 13) is the perfect contrast.

This yellow and purple zebra dress is a bit out there, even for me. I bought it for a trip to Las Vegas and have been trying to figure out a way to wear it since. Minh Le, my stylist, taught me one of my new favorite tricks; pulling on a black crew neck (Day 3, Day 16). The dress is magically transformed into a cute skirt and the black sweater tidies up my silhouette. Nude shoes, awesome trick for elongating the legs and not drawing attention to light legs. I also busted out my vintage beetle brooch, which makes me happy.

Do you want to wear something chunky or full on the top or bottom? It's easy to do, just make sure you slim out the other half so you don't look like a cast member from the original Degrassi High.

59 Days of Style Day 20-26: Cardigans-Tanks

 My original idea was to showcase the different cardigans I wore Saturday-Monday, however, I didn't get a chance to blog! So here is my catch-up blog.

Forever 21 cardigan with black F21 tank and cuffed jeans (Day 11). This cardigan has the same odd "wing" style as the one I wore on Day 12. Even though it looks strange on a hanger, it is flattering and easy to wear; a nice, shear option for those not-cold-not-hot-days.

What to wear hanging out with friends and going wine tasting? I wanted something pretty, stretchy, lightweight and all-over comfortable. Black leggings with a white tank can be the base of many wonderful outfits. The cardigan is Anne Taylor and the skirt, you guessed it, Forever 21! I LOVE adding a unique necklace to most outfits. This one was given to me by a friend Ellie for my Birthday.

After a busy weekend, I wanted to be comfortable. You should know these black Guess leggings by now, they are an easy go-to item. Inspired by Audrey Hepburn, black flats was a must. The tank top is the same long black one from Forever 21 and the cardigan I wore in Venture on Day 7. I didn't know how much I liked these vintage beads until I started looking through all of these photos of me wearing them! They came from Love Fox Vintage in Ventura. Be happy, Love Fox has an etsy shop!

Going to Disneyland and didn't want to get a sunburn, so I wore a long sleeve top (Day 10) over a black tank and my Gap skinnies (Day 13 and Day 18). My friend asked me if I took a picture of my outfit before going to Disneyland; of course I did! It's the blogging that takes time, not the photos, as you can tell by their amazing quality ;)

HOT! Yesterday was the first of an unexpected heatwave. I began reaching for a plan tank to pair with my "custom" cut offs when I remembered I am being held accountable to my outfits by this blog. Alright, so the goal is to still wear tank tops, but ones that are actually tops, not undershirts. This is a cross back tank I got a Target last summer, it has a fun flower detail at the shoulder and floats nicely away from my tummy :)

Today! Finally made it through. LOVE this Anthro dress (layered on Day 14) I got for about $30, paired with a little white cardigan and some sandals and I'm ready for the 90 degree weather Dallas Rains was threatening me with. It is hard to see my hair, but I want you all to know I am sporting the "bang french". Easy way to get rid of your bangs and add a touch of boho to an outfit.

Want to free your legs from winter but lacking the confidence? Fake it! This self-tanner is awesome because it doesn't have any harmful stuff in it and it actually has SPF 15 so your, actually white, legs are protected from getting burnt. To add some color to my face, I used bronzer in the hollows of my cheeks and for eye shadow (thought you'd like that little trick).

Happy Summer, Californians!

59 Days of Style Day 17: Skirt This!

Skirts make me feel girlie and frilly. That is fine if you aren't needing to woman up to a crazy day.

Trying to challenge myself, I put on my flowy Anthropologie skirt. Needing to add some structure and power to my look, I chose deep colors,  not pastels and florals. This military inspired jacket is comfortable but seemed a bit boxy. Simple solution; I rolled up my sleeves to make it more casual. I also opted to show off my knees so I wasn't dark head to toe. Usually, a black boot would be the choice for an outfit with a black jacket, however choosing brown boots (yes, my favorites from Day 12 and 13) lighten the look.

To carry the look to my face, I did a black-lined eye and a nude lip. Concealer and a dab of lip gloss work great.

Who doesn't need a little glitz in their day? This "diamond" and chain leather cuff by Swank is a great combination of girlie and edgy. Another tip from Minh Le- always wear clear or nude polish when wanting to look professional.




Inspiration: pick something in your closet and wear it in a new way you never have before.


Peace and Love!

59 Days of Style Day 14: Layering is Fun!

My Mom always told me to dress in layers when it's cold out. What about when it's just kind of cold and a chunky sweater would be too much? Here is what I wore today and how I did it.

Step one: black tights, black boots (Day 1) it is cold, after all. This is my favorite sundress from Anthropologie. Super cute but not too appropriate for going to church in March. I also would not pair it with a complete black leg. To rock this on it's own, I would wear sandals or brown boots sans tights.

Step 2: My dark purple, Ann Taylor, cow neck (Day 4) is loose enough so my dress fits nicely underneath but hits at the right place so the dress looks like a skirt.

Step 3: Not quite warm enough so I layer on the black cardigan with the chain detail I wore for my work meeting (Day 9).










All three pieces are not bulky, therefore perfect for layering with different outfits. The dress has a bold print and bright colors. Some might scare away from trying to use it as a layering piece. The best thing to do is pick pieces that can all be categorized as neutrals. Have no fear, dark purple is definitely a neutral. The chain detail breaks up the dark colors on top allowing for a more vertical or "skinny" look. The goal is always to look skinny and tall! No frumpy or bulky here!

59 Days of Style Day 2

This is another work outfit that Minh Le had put together for me. A week ago I hated these $12 Gap chinos. They made me feel fat and frumpy. Well, apparently all of my shirts are too short and my pants are not long enough either. Minh had her mother, the seamstress, lower the hem for me. Frumpy? Not how I would describe myself anymore. Maybe polished and pretty would be better. Getting a sweater at Anthropologie for $20 also makes me happy, however, dusting this blue 3/4 sleeve button down from the back of my closet off is one of the most fun things to me about this outfit. Props to Banana Republic to make a shirt still look good after all this time.Who keeps clothes in their closet they bought 5 years ago and never wear? Oh, right, me and that's why I started this blog.

Today's to do list:
-Work
-Lunch with Grandma and Chris
-Chase stray dogs around the property