Polka Dot Dress Remix

It's good to be back in the blogosphere! I was out of pocket for a few days. I thought I'd have time to do a few posts during that time but I should've known that I'd be too busy.

I'm back in the swing of things at work today, so no real posts yet, but here's a remix I put together a couple months back on Polyvore.

I'm remixing around the polka dot dress below. What's your favorite piece?

Polka Dot Dress Remix by lemondrop_linz featuring a fitted blazer

Dorothy Perkins white day dress, 30 GBP
Cami top, 34 GBP
DKNY long sleeve top, 120 GBP
Kookai striped top, 33 GBP
Ichi polka dot top, 27 EUR
Daytrip metallic top, $27
American Eagle Outfitters 3 button blazer, $40
Fitted blazer, $90
River Island yellow blazer, 35 GBP
BKE striped jacket, $32
Blazer, $14

I think I'm partial to the yellow blazer myself. :)

Maybe it's time for me to admit that yellow is my new favorite color. I still think pink reigns first though.

In other news, I'm gearing up to work on some cute baby items for a dear friend's baby shower coming up at the end of June.

Would y'all be interested in seeing some cute baby shower tutorials and crafts along the way? I can't share too many before the shower, but I can share them ALL afterwards!

Inspiration Look: Prep School

Another Inspiration Monday challenge with Two Birds. I just love these, don't you?! I really branch out on Mondays at the office now.

This week's look is super cute and also caters to the bloggers do it better: prep school challenge.

Hey, I can never pass up a 2 for 1 deal so of course I was going to participate!

When I got dressed this morning and pulled back my hair into a bun, I felt very androgenous chic. I'm not sure if that's a term or not, but pre-makeup, I really was feeling the men in menswear.

I decided that my preppy/menswear look needed minimalist accessories. I opted for some (fake) pearl earrings and the necktie was a great replacement for a necklace.

I've had this red tie that I have worn very little and immediately thought of when I saw the inspiration pic. That was the easy part.

I wore comfortable brown pants and very simple black flats to keep the look very clean and classic.

I have a white button up shirt with short sleeves but I really wanted to go with more color (go figure!) and decided to go with a pink shirt. Pink shirt and red tie?? What was I thinking?!?!

But seriously, who started that rumor that those colors don't go together? The right shade of any colors can be paired together and I LOVE red & pink as a pair, don't you?!

I am freezing every day in the office so despite the 80 degree weather in these pics, I wanted to be true to the outfit I wore all day and show you the cardigan I also wore. My friend Em calls these the Grandpa cardigans and I think that's so cute and true! They definitely remind me of Mr. Rogers.

I honestly don't think I would've worn the outfit without the cardigan. To me, it really pulled it all together. I felt like I nailed the preppy look while keeping some femininity in it as well. Would you agree?

Thanks for stopping by, neighbor. Now mosey on over to Two Birds and Bloggers Do It Better to see what the other participants are wearing! And hey, why don't YOU join in next time? I swear it's fun and totally helps you get dressed on time!

Outfit:

Target flats & cardigan, NY & Co pants, LOFT shirt

FBFF: Blog Pet Peeves

A little fashion first.

I've tried to incorporate more white from my closet into my outfits.

I am going to overwear this blazer this summer. It is so clean and crisp and the perfect summery piece for work.

Wearing: Ann Taylor blazer, Target checkered button down (on sale!), NY & Co. pants, Steve Madden snakeskin pumps

Francesca's necklace (yes, again, ok!), White House Black Market earrings


I like the look of the cropped blazer over the long button down shirt.
Layers are one of my favorite ways to remix my wardrobe.

Now on to the FBFF questions for this week.

From Katy at Modly Chic: "Blog pet peeves – This was inspired by a post by Beautifully
Invisible from a couple weeks ago entitled ‘The 10 things that drive
me crazy about your blog.’

Before you read it, list the 5 things
that drive you crazy about blogs you visit."

Pet peeves are funny. They are so specific to each person. I'm just betting there's something on my blog that is someone else's pet peeve. I'm going to read everyone's answers until I figure out what it is that may be bothering someone! :)

Before I continue this post, I must quote one of my favorite sitcoms.

Ross: What is Monica's biggest pet peeve?

Joey: Animals dressed as humans!!

Ross: That is correct!

Most of my pet peeves for bloggers will be from a reader's perspective since I haven't quite figured out how I want my own blog to look yet.

1. Misspellings. I hate seeing misspelled words in online articles, e-mails, and even blogs. I can't stand poor grammar either, but I get that spell check won't catch those mistakes on a blog. And as someone who studied French for years, I hate it when I see the word Voilà! spelled as Viola, which is a stringed instrument.

2. Links that don't work. What's worse than clicking on a link that doesn't take you anywhere?! You're thinking "Ooh, that's cute!" or "That sounds like an interesting article" and you start to click with your mouse and the URL is wrong or missing or extinct and then you're super disappointed. You're a little sad and a lot frustrated. I hate that.

3. REALLY blurry pictures. I know that sometimes you get desperate and want to use your phone's camera, but at least get someone else to take the picture if it's always blurry when you do it. I'd rather read an outfit description than see a super blurry picture. And I don't mean a little fuzzy, but super blurry. I'm sure I've violated this pet peeve of mine at some point and believe me, when I did, it really bothered me!

4. Blogs that are too busy. I have seen a few blogs where I have to highlight the words in the post just so I can read them. Or the design is just overwhelming that I don't even want to read the post. It makes me wonder if the blogger has even viewed their own blog. Sometimes I wonder if my blog background is a little too busy. Please tell me if it is!

5. No pictures. I am a very visual being and need to see pictures in a post! For fashion bloggers, that's not a problem. We often have too many pictures, haha. But i like to read other blogs as well and sometimes I want the insightful blogs or funny blogs to have a few pictures too. Just change it up a little so I don't get bored while reading.

Speaking of, here's a few more pictures for you.

I know I look cheesy but I'm attempting to model some of my clutches for my Etsy shop. What do you think?

Check out my Etsy shop. I'd love to hear some suggestions for a new bag.

Check out Modly Chic to read what other FBFFers' biggest pet peeves are.

And don't forget to have a beautiful weekend!

I'm A Soccer Aunt

I've recently had the priviledge of attending my nephew's soccer games. It is so cute to see those little 4 year olds, running around (sometimes the wrong way), and (trying to) stop or kick the ball.

To be honest, I'm not much of a soccer fan. I enjoy my nephew's games more than soccer games I've (not really) watched on tv. I think the only adult soccer games I've watched in entirety were when the U.S. was in the World Cup last year. Sorry to any soccer fans out there.

Anyway, being outside for these soccer games gives me a great opportunity to enjoy the warm weather here before it becomes unbearable. This means it's time for my legs to see more daylight in shorts, eek!

See? You CAN dress for the summer AND look cool. HA!

I'm constantly cold so I must always have a cardigan on hand.





Close up of my accessories. I can only wear the hat on weekends.

The I LOVE these earrings, got them on our honeymoon in Costa Rica last year. And I can't stop wearing this orange necklace from Francesca's. It pairs so well with everything!

shorts: Dillard's / floral tank, purse, hat: Target / cardigan: JCPenney / necklace: Francesca's Collection / earrings: Costa Rica

Yellow Etsy Cravings

Since my wedding last year, I have been attracted to the color yellow. I always liked it before, but now I seek it out and crave it in clothing and accessories.

Here are some fun Etsy finds in yellow that I'm currently craving.

Vintage 70s dress

I think I'd want to wear the top and skirt as separates.

Yellow Dot Clutch

I bet I could make something similar...but I've never tried.

Bananas Oxfords

Vintage Homemade Yelow Floral Dress

Yellow floral laminate fabric

Polka dot fabric bundle

The necklaces I bought for my bridesmaids. Here's the seller's Etsy shop.

Have a lovely Tuesday!

Paper Doll, Edition 2

It was awesome getting up this morning and knowing I already had clothes picked out to wear!

I participated in The Paper Doll Project again and had the pleasure of working with Beck from At Her Best.

I asked my partner to style my outfit around my trouser pants. I love them dearly and try not to wear them to work every day. I think limiting them to one day a week for the past month has been pretty good!

So Beck chose to pair the trousers with a black/white polka dot top, one of my favorite floral cardigans, and some yellow shoes. I chose the yellow sandals over the yellow uncomfortable heels that are super cute but can't be worn for an hour straight yet.

All I did was add some accessories - a brown braided belt to define my waist, some yellow drop earrings, and a black bead necklace.

I loved my outfit all day. And I know comfort isn't most important, but seriously y'all, these are the cutest, most comfortable pants I might've EVER bought!

Here's a close up of my sandals. I couldn't take a good full outfit shot.

Oh and Lucy wanted me to pick her up and love on her so she can say Hi to all of you!

A big Thank You to Beck for being a wonderful partner. Go check out how I styled her outfit here.

And THEN, come see all the other Paper Doll Project participants over at Miss Vinyl Ahoy.

Hope y'all had a great hump day, see you soon!

Inspiration Outfit: Floral Dress

Another week and another great inspiration outfit photo from 2 birds.

This week's inspiration look is this adorable floral ensemble and jean jacket on Nicole Richie.

I thought this was a floral dress but now it looks like a romper. Either way, I'm not wearing a romper. They would NOT be flattering to this pear shape!

I love love LOVE floral prints! I love little vintage-looking florals, mod chic florals, and big bold florals, they're all beautiful to me!!

You've probably realized that I wear most of my inspired looks to work, so I had to tame it down a little in order to be appropriate. But I wore it on Friday so I could keep it casual!

The spaghetti straps on the dress would be a no-no at work without the cardigan.

lots of skin showing from the front as well without the cardi

My puppies were camera shy this time. They were having too much fun sniffing around the backyard.

floral look: Target dress & cardi, GAP jeans (long & lean), UO shoes

James Avery necklace, Target earrings

Forever 21 belt

First time I wore these shoes from Urban Outfitters and I love them!

Nicole Richie has great style and looks super cute, but I like my look better...at least for me! :)

What do y'all think?



I'm also using this link for EBEW too, so be sure to check out other florals in the fashion blogosphere.

Wedded Bliss

Today is my 1 year anniversary! YAY, we made it a year!! That's the hardest year, right? Whew, good thing it's over!

Honestly, it wasn't a hard year, so maybe the hardest one is still to come. Or maybe life is easy when it's just the two of you and your main responsibilities are to love each other and take care of 2 dogs. Either way, it was a great year.

In honor of our beautiful day one year ago, I'm going to share more pics from that day. We got married at Nature's Point, which is on Lake Travis in Austin, Texas. May 7, 2010 was a gorgeous day and the wedding & reception very nearly as perfect as we'd planned.

Maybe I'm a little partial, but thes pictures are just AMAZING.

pink roses & white daisies bouquet for the bride

bridesmaids had yellow roses & yellow daisies

dangly earrings were a must

floral peep toe shoes (Alfani?)

groom getting ready

First Look before the wedding

Groom wearing a light gray suit, white shirt, pink tie.

Groomsmen wearing their own black suits and same gray shirts & yellow ties.

Our favorite photo from the day.

Bride wearing tea length Stephanie James Couture, style Dahlia.

Bridesmaids wearing cocktail length strapless charcoal gray dresses (don't remember the designer).

Oh, I love my dress. Wishing I could wear it again.

Buh-bye now!

I'll share more later. But now I have to go get ready for a nice dinner with my husband!

Hope y'all have a delightful weekend!

FBFF: Shoes

FBFF topic this week is a favorite of mine....SHOES!!!!!

1.What is your go-to pair of shoes?

My fall back shoe is the BC Footwear Women's Afterglow Pump in Teal. I bought them last fall, right before the fall 30 for 30, and they are so comfortable and super cute!! They jazz up any outfit with the round toe, visible stitching, chunky heel, and bright color. I'm thinking of getting another pair in a new color!

2. What goes into your shoe buying decisions?

Cuteness

I have no desire to own 5 pairs of black flats. I own a couple pairs of black flats, but they are easily distinguishable with either a peep toe or slight wedge or bow at the toe. I only have one pair of black flats that is a simple round toe ballet flat...and it's from Target so it was super cheap, Yay!

So I usually look for shoes that are different. I want bright colors or a pattern or something fun that doesn't bore me when I look down at my feet.

Comfort

I have noticed that if I buy shoes that are truly comfortable to wear, then I'll actually wear them, imagine that! What's the point of just "collecting" shoes that sit on your shelf in your closet and are never worn because they are painful? Because I want comfort, I don't always just get cheap shoes just because they are cheap. I used to shop at Payless a lot, but then the shoes would either hurt my feet or fall apart.

Comfort is especially important for me when I'm looking at heels. If I want to wear heels to work, then they definitely have to be comfortable enough for my feet for an entire day. Wedges in the summer are great because they are super cute and easily comfortable with the wide wedge heel!

Durability

This goes with what I was saying about Payless shoes. I want shoes to last longer than 2 months. If they are comfortable and cute and a good brand, then I will spend $50 or more if I know they will last me a while. If they are made cheaply, but are still comfortable and cute, I may buy them and hope that they last a year. I will often get bright colored flats at Target for around $10 that I wear for about a year and then retire. I've even found some cute and comfy flats at Walmart, but they lasted me less than 6 months. For longer lasting flats, I often buy Blowfish or Rocket Dog brands at DSW.

3. The majority of the shoes in your closet are what color?

I wouldn't say that the majority of my shoes are a certain color. I probably own more black shoes than anything else, but they are definitely not the majority of the shoes. Some of my black shoes are from the days when I would only buy heels in either black or brown. I was so boring back then...or maybe just practical.

4. When it comes to design shoes what are your favorite brands and why?

Poetic Licence - It's funky and fun and always colorful!

Seychelles - Same deal, they are always colorful and unique.

Blowfish - Super comfy and unique-looking flats

Steve Madden and Madden Girl- For cute and (usually) comfy (enough) heels

5. If price wasn’t an issue, you’d own which shoe?

A pair of Jimmy Choos. A friend of mine got some as a Christmas gift from her husband and they are these ADORABLE 5 inch platform heels in a cheetah print and she told me she can wear them to work all day and be comfortable! I want some Jimmy Choos some day (maybe not in cheetah print)...but I know I won't be willing to part with $700 for a pair of shoes any time soon.

Here's a few favorites I found on Polyvore. I think this paycheck weekend will find me with some new shoes very soon.

I heart shoes by lemondrop_linz featuring kitten heels

Forever21 oxford heels, $23
Kurt Geiger high heels, 29 GBP
High heels, $50
Iron Fist stiletto high heels, $50
Calvin Klein high heels, $30
UNIONBAY kitten heels, $40
Wanted Shoes Women's Splendor Thong Sandal, $35

What are some of your favorite pairs of shoes and where have you worn them recently?

Stop by tomorrow for a special wedding anniversary post. :)

Inspiration Outfit: Katie Holmes

Inspiration picture this week from 2 birds is a very cute and casual outfit from Katie Holmes:



She does NOT look happy in this pic, does she? Remember back to Dawson's Creek when she was super cute and naive-looking and all pre-crazyTom days? Ya gotta feel a little sympathy for the girl.

But hey, at least she's still fashionable! And here's a look I can sort of duplicate...not exactly, of course, because where's the fun in that?!

Here's my take on the look:

At least I look happy in a candid shot! :)

I don't own any high waisted pants (and I'm not sure I could ever find any for this pear shape!), but I do have some amazing wide leg trouser pants from J. Crew Factory that I ADORE!!

Oh my goodness, y'all, these short peep-toe wedges are SO comfy! AND...get this...from PAYLESS!

yellow elbow tee: Downeast Basics / wide leg trouser pants: J. Crew / cardigan: Target / shoes: Payless / necklace: Charming Charlie / earrings: James Avery

So how do you like my version of the look? I think it's different from the inspiration photo, but maybe a little more cheery as well. You like?

Hope your week is going well!

Check out 2 Birds for more Inspiration Monday looks.