I might go see Bruno!

So since we are on a spending freeze so we can do some major renovations on our house, both Chris and I have cut any unnecessary spending, right? Well, then he asked if I would want to go see Bruno on Saturday, and now I am thinking it might be an unavoidable expense. I mean, I blog about fashion, and Bruno is about a crazy fashionisto, right???? See the official trailer here.

What do you think, should I go see it? Have any of you seen it? Is it worth it? Is it dumb and not funny and offensive? Or is it just some light hearted comedy? Do tell :)

Not at my most stylish....

Lately (the past week and a half) I have had to wear my glasses and not wear much makeup. The reason: my eye. Last week it was really sensitive to light, but the sensation came and went. Over the weekend, it got pretty bad, and the burning kept me awake. My eye is red and irritated-looking, but no, it is not pink eye or anything else contagious. I have a few theories: a blood vessel popped from stress or not getting enough sleep, or (as Chris suggested) I accidentally poked myself in the eye and scratched it.

I know, what does this have to do with style, beauty, fashion, etc, right? Well, I have had to wear my glasses, which only brings back memories from high school of feeling like a nerd. And to stop anything from possibly causing further irritation, I haven't been wearing any makeup. No foundation, as it could get in my eye. No mascara. Nothing. So I kinda feel.... naked.

Last week, I thought maybe I could use the need for glasses as a reason to dress like one of those sexy librarians. I wore a satiny frilly top with black trousers and heels. Not only did I not succeed with feeling sexy, I was also really warm and uncomfortable whenever I left the extreme air conditioning of my work environment.

Ever have days like this? How do you deal when you don't feel like the best version of yourself? The good news is that it seems to be getting better.

Spending Freeze

You know to what I am referring. No spending, no buying anything unnecessarily, unless it is grocery shopping, I will not be entering any stores.

Not that I did a whole lot of shopping before. I mean, compared to some of my counterparts, I am tame. But it has been declared out loud this time. Other than bills (and savings) no money will be leaving the checking account. And all because...? Because a lot (A LOT) of work is going to be done to the house in the next month. The kind of work that involves knocking down walls. Raising roofs. (Literally.) Ripping fixtures out. And all that takes money.

Normally I will not even realize when it has been a long time since I last bought something frivolous. But when I declare a spending freeze on myself, I become painfully (PAINFULLY!) aware. Suddenly, I NEED purses. Shoes. Sunglasses.

I know, I know. All in my head. And it's for a good cause. My house will look better for it in the end. Yea yea.

Having my house in disarray will not help matters, of course. I will be looking for any reason to get out, and shopping won't be an option.

Petty? Probably. Whiny? Mhmm. Petulant? Definitely. But hey, at least I can admit it, right? And I can tell myself that while I am not making myself more stylish, I am making my house more so!

Do you ever put yourself on spending freezes?

Bruno on the Today Show

All I have to say is wow. Check it out:

Flirty little summer dresses

One of the best things about summer is that getting dressed is so much easier. Just throw on a little summer dress and go. You can dress it up or down depending on what accessories you choose.

One of my favorite places to look for summer clothes is none other than Victoria's Secret. Well, the website anyway, as the store is mostly about what goes on under the clothes.

I did some virtual window shopping and came up with a list of looks I would love to add to my closet right now. Here are just a few dresses every girl needs:

A white dress- so fresh and clean looking. Great with any skin tone, and can be worn during the day or at night.




A shirtdress- a look that screams "borrowed from the boyfriend," which is right on trend right now.



The one shoulder- also right on trend. This one is a no-brainer for date night, weddings, basically anytime you want or need to knock someone's socks off. It bares a little skin without being revealing, and the options for accessorizing are endless.




Peasant dress- you all know how I feel about the boho-chic style. This kind of dress fits right in with that look.




The sporty dress- who doesn't love a built-in bra? This is the kind of dress you can run around, play and flirt in, but it still looks super cute!




So there you have it, my choices for must have dresses. While some of these looks are particularly in fashion right now, I think these are styles it is good to keep around. They can all be reworked easily in order to look more of the moment.

What do you all think? Have I forgotten any?

I have chic friends

At a recent party for a friend's engagement I was wowed by the style some of my friends have. Just look at these outfits:


Above is Tiffany, and she gave me the lowdown on (almost) her entire outfit.
Dress: Free People
White corduroy jacket (pictured on her below): American Eagle
Purse (a lookalike of the timeless Coco Chanel chain shoulder bag): Etsy

Can you believe Tiffany scored this purse on Etsy for only $12?? It is vintage and real leather. Love!

I am unsure about the shoes and belt, but she is right on trend for this season with both. Wedges and espadrilles made of natural materials always work for summer, but there is definitely a focus on them this year. The belt is brown and leather, and is perfect for giving this sweet and girly flower print some edge.


On the right is Candice, who always manages to look beautiful. She obviously knows you can't go wrong with the little black dress. I forgot to ask her where she found it, but it looked great on her, especially paired with her sky high strappy platforms!


This is Brittany, our host and the guest of honor for the event. She said the dress is BCBG, and the shoes are Manolos. Aren't they beautiful??? I wanted to rip them off her feet!

Do you have stylish friends too?

I tried it- Mixing patterns

I think Michelle Obama has GREAT fashion sense. Whether you agree with her husband's politics or not, you can't deny that. Take this look for example:


The rule used to be that mixing patterns was a definite no- that it would look too "busy." But as The Girls in the Fashion Department put it, "This is such a simple, wearable way to do the pattern mixing thing. She sticks with one color palette, keeps it summery and fresh, and doesn't complicate things with the rest of her accessories."

I wasn't going for the exact same look, complete with pearls, however. I wanted my outfit to have a bit more edge.


I wore a loose, flower-print spaghetti strap blouse from Old Navy, bermuda shorts from Old Navy, and the striped cardigan is New York and Company. Wedge sandals are from Nine West, bangle bracelet is from NY, and the skull-and-bones ring is Lucky. What do you think?

I tried it! the boho- hippie look

I got this dress for- get this- $20. Yes, twenty dollars. TJ Maxx is a treasure trove.

The little bolero jacket is from The Limited- I got it forever ago, but it has served me well.

The bangle bracelets are Aldo Accessories- I wanted some color since the rest of the outfit was black, white and gray.

I wore my gladiator sandals and my purple fringed purse, natch. This is probably the most comfortable outfit I own!

Gypsy girl

I wore this skirt because it is so damn comfortable. And the volume is very... "forgiving." But I knew I needed to balance out the volume by wearing something more form fitting on top. I wore heels in hopes of giving me some height and lengthening the legs, but I may have picked the wrong ones. I wanted a nude colored shoe, but these are more pink. What do you think?

I wore a cocktail ring, some chandelier earrings you can't see in the picture and my watch and wedding rings. My husband says I should have gone a little crazy with the accessories, and looking at this picture I kind of agree. I just didn't want to overwhelm my frame since the skirt was so big to begin with, haha.

I tried it- the boyfriend shirt

I love the trend of stealing your boyfriend's (or husband's in my case) clothes- I think it looks so easy and casual, and not like you are trying too hard. Almost as though you just woke up late, needed to find some clothes quick and run out the door.

I had such a morning last week, and figured it was as good a time as any to try the trend.

Here is how it turned out:




Now here is my train of thought for the look: I like how Rhianna tucks hers into skinny jeans or shorts. However, I can't wear shorts to work- it just wouldn't be appropriate- and when wearing something loose on top I try to keep things tight or form fitting on the bottom, and vice versa. It is all about proportions and balance for me, especially since I am only 5' (and a 1/4 inch) tall!

So I wore mine with leggings. But then I belted the shirt so it wouldn't look like a tent. I wore flats because I thought heels might hint at the first time this kind of look was around- the 90s- and I wanted it look more up to date. My husband suggested heels would help with the proportions though, so I am going to play around with that more next time...

I am also going to play around with the accessories/jewelry. I only wore stud earrings, my watch, and my wedding rings. I want to layer on more, as Rhianna did here.



I wanted to do a makeup look that was similar to Rhianna's- very simple and light- except for those bright red lips. The lip color here, in case you are interested in trying it out, is Nars Bloodwork. Next time, I think I am going to try a more defined and matte lip.

I got one compliment on the outfit at work, but tons more on the lip color!

Bohemian-hippie-chic style

I am loving the Boho-chic style that is so in right now. I think it just epitomizes a carefree lifestyle. It looks eazy-breezy and casual, so that means the clothes have to be comfortable. Here are some ways to pull it off:

First you need a tie-dye maxi dress.


Then add some comfy, flat shoes or sandals....



Fringe on the accessories is always good (just don't go overboard and wear anything and everything with fringe.)


And wear some nature inspired jewelry! I really like the look of these headbands, too.


Bonus points for sunglasses like these- I have been looking everywhere for the perfect pair...




What do you think? Into this trend?

Flowers in fashion

I have noticed more and more flower patterns when out and about shopping- and I think I like it. This is what I am talking about:

Urban Outfitters


I love beanies in general, and I am always hoping I will someday find a way to wear them with my crazy curls.


I love train cases- particularly vintage or vintage looking ones. I remember having one to play with as a kid, who knows how old it was. I only wish I knew where it was now. This one from UO may not be vintage or have a hard shell like that old one, but it does have pretty flowers all over it and a silky lining! Would look cute for travel or just sitting in your bathroom holding all your makeup, don't you think?

I love maxi dresses in all forms, and this one from UO is no exception. I like the big bold flowers on this one- I don't think small flowers would have had as much impact.


I think flower prints on tops are great. The thing about a top like these is that it can be dressed up or down easily- depending on whether you wear boyfriend jeans or skinny, dark wash jeans, flat gladiator sandals or stilettos. And depending on the jewelry, the versatility goes even further. Wear a studded bracelet and a piled on bunch of chain necklaces and you have a rocker-chic style. Go with some stacked gold tone rings and a single long chain with several little charms and you have more of a girly style. Also, anyone notice the one sleeve black t-shirt up there? Accentuating one shoulder is hot hot hot right now. Isn't it nice when you can draw attention to a little bit of skin without actually revealing much?


This plaid flower headband is so cute- I think it would look great with a plain white boyfriend t-shirt, some slightly destroyed denim, and some simple jewelry. It looks like the flower is pretty big and would be hard to miss on one's head. So since it would draw so much attention, I would keep everything else simple- let it take the spotlight. (Charlotte Russe) The earrings would be cute mixed with rocker-chic jewelry- I think matching up things from opposite styles makes things look modern and fresh, and like you aren't trying too hard. (Urban Outfitters)

I have a feeling about what many of you might be thinking about this dress, because I initially thought the same thing. I had several dresses a lot like this in elementary and middle school. Maybe you are thinking it is very "circa 1990" with it's cut and the small print. Maybe you think the pattern looks like your grandparents' curtains. But I am telling you, this could be very fashionable with the right add-ons and accessories. With the right boyfriend blazer or denim jacket, and some casual gladiator sandals or distressed leather cowboy boots, it would be right on trend. See below for some good options. (Dress, jackets and shoes all UO)


This cardigan caught my eye because it has a very relaxed and drapey feel- very different from the cardigans we are used to from JCrew and Gap (which I love as well!) Plus, it has a print, while most of the cardigans I currently own are a solid color. This skirt is adorable- would be great with a solid v-neck t-shirt. It has the same flouncy cut we have been seeing, but the wide waistband should make it more flattering for a wider range of body types. And it has pockets! I never put stuff in the pockets of my clothes, but it's nice having them, haha.


Do you like the flower trend? Too girly for you? Do you prefer them hippie-style? big and ornate like upholstery? (ha!) bold and eye-catching?