Midweek Craving: Simple Statement Necklace

BaubleBar Triad Collar Necklace

I've lagged on accessories over the years. There was a period where I completely embraced them to accentuate my often basic outfits and had a lot of fun with it. Eventually my accessories style evolved a bit, and my amazing but cheap Forever21 jewellery were on the last legs of their life. That bring us to today. Today I have simple earrings, and two necklaces. Only one is what I would consider a statement piece. I've been having the blah's lately as I examine my outfit in the mirror before heading off to work. There's always something missing.

It is my ongoing lesson that just one piece can make or break a look. Of course, I am using that very fact as an opportunity to day dream and plan purchases on necklaces just like this one. I actually planned to buy the necklace in black as pictured but it sold out and has since been removed from the website. The teal green color is a real gem though.


As I go back to gazing at it, have your self a happy Wednesday! What accessories do you like to perk up your outfits with?

Fall Wishlist 2012

The days are getting just a bit shorter and just a little colder which is a sure sign Fall is on its way. I personally love Fall fashion out of all other seasons thanks to layering. In my opinion, it allows just the right amount, unlike Winter where I never seem to have enough layers. I am especially excited for this Fall, as it seems to revolve around some of my favorite things: the color burgundy, bows, and polka dots.

Today, I thought I would share with you all the items I have my eye on investing in this season.

 J. Crew Blythe blouse in polka dot

 Zara polka dot printed blouse

 Polka dots are going strong this Fall, and the one way I am dying to incorporate the trend is through the blouses I wear. I plan on wearing it with everything: dressed down with jeans, with a pencil skirt to work, and with a bright pencil skirt for casual Friday's.

Another polka dot beauty that I couldn't wait to pick up, that is on it's way to my doorstep at this very moment is the J. Crew Tippi sweater in burgundy with large navy polka dots. I am most excited about this as it not only incorporates polka dots, which I love, it's also in burgundy. My heart just melted. It's fall perfection.

Another way I am incorporating another burgundy piece into my fall wardrobe is this beauty of a dress I picked up at H&M recently. It runs small in the waist so I recommend sizing up one size.

 H&M dress

Lastly, I love bows as an accent accessory. I can't stop thinking about this belt:

J. Crew leather bow skinny belt

It comes in black and a gorgeous deep cobalt-ish blue and I want to wear it with everything. It seems to be out of stock of the blue color online but I have seen it stocked in stores recently.


Happy Monday! What's on your fall wishlist?

Midweek Cravings: Minnie



I love J. Crew for their wardrobe staples but am ever so skeptical of their vanity sizing. This means I don't buy things as often as I would like from them. On a recent browsing trip through the store, however, I was excited to find that these Minnie pants NEARLY fit (in a 00r). This means that a 00p should fit, or will need the most minor alterations. So until I bite the bullet, I will constantly drool at these online. They completely fulfill my obsession with ankle length/slim trousers.

Hope you're all having a wonderful Wednesday!

What are you craving right now?

Beauty Review Series: blinc mascara

October was my very first birchbox, which caused annoyance when the post office lost it for 3 weeks. The whole ordeal got me wondering if this subscription was even a good idea. I know, I know.. crazy thoughts. Luckily, those thoughts went away upon the arrival of it. The first day I used the blinc mascara, I knew a review was in order.

The first detail I would like to highlight is that it was made in Japan. Before even using the product, this gave me a wave of excitement. That is because the very popular mascara Fiberwig (I have yet to try it but admire all the same) also happens to hail from there. This factor gave me high hopes that blinc might also deliver on lengthening the lashes. It also brings about the concept of "tubing" your lashes. Now I will admit, I know nothing on the ingredients of the product on how this actually works but the results when applying can be seen. When applying I do notice a lack of clump, and it seems to dry rather quickly. It definitely gives a sense of closing around each lash.

My verdict is that I love this mascara. I will tell you why. For one, as I've already mentioned there's no clumping. When I apply in the morning before leaving for work, it's still intact when I arrive home upwards of 10pm at night. I've cried while wearing this, and have even had the odd moment that I'm so tired I forget I shouldn't be touching my face with makeup on and was there any smudging? Most certainly not.

Before using this mascara, I was using two in order to achieve what I wanted. I was using Rimmel Sexy Curves and Maybelline Blackest Black. The first was used for shape, and the latter for volume/length. I'm happy to say though that blinc does most of that for me, and due to this "tubing" technology, it isn't messy as mascara can sometime get. My only gripe? I wish it did a bit more for the shape of my lashes but that can easily be solved by using an eyelash curler. All that's left for me to do is get over my fear of them!

Any tips to share on using an eyelash curler? Feel free to leave it in the comments.
Also, for those interest in purchasing the blinc mascara can do so here.

Friday Night Out: Work to Night

This Friday I wanted to create a look where, by just changing a few pieces, you can go from your day job to drinks with friends or a date night. I also took this opportunity to play with a coloured pencil skirt as it can really add vibrancy to an outfit.

View the Polyvore details here.


On the left side we have our work ready pieces. For evening, all I would do is switch our top and sweater combination for a brighter colour blocking sweater in the purple. Add jewellery that stands out a bit more, a clutch and your transition is complete. Also, this late Fall/nearly early Winter has been rather warm but don't forget the pantyhose. Just throw on a black wool coat and out the door you go.

Happy Friday! Thank you for reading and enjoy your day!

Finding The Perfect Handbag

We're all looking for it. I myself have a narrowed down list of three that I'm looking into. I thought I should share in case it could help those of you also looking. You can read my earlier post on good silhouette's  for an everyday handbag here. As I am now out of school, I don't quite need the massive Longchamp I would lug my books around in (on the bad days, backpack would be on hand) on a daily basis anymore.

Here's what I'm looking for:

-Leather. My only leather bag is on the verge of falling apart on me after all the abuse I've put it through in the 5 years I have owned it. However, I find of all the bags I've owned (in all different materials), the leather one held up best. I just love a classic leather bag.

-On the medium to larger size. I don't see myself as a light packer on the day to day. I need a bag that will fit: wallet, the book I'm reading, day minder, small notebook, small makeup case, ipod, glasses, and a few other little things. Since I'm attempting to be a real working woman now, it would also be nice to fit a pair of flats in for when my pumps make my feet cry (although I'm proud to say I'm working up good tolerance on that one).

-I like when a bag has several compartments. The leather bag I mentioned earlier was definitely the one I grabbed for because of it. It had the main middle compartment and then two on the ends. As well, in the middle compartment it would have a few little compartments for the things that would disappear to the bottom otherwise (lip balm for one thing). This sort of design allows for more organisation which is so nice to have when you feel too busy to think about where in your cluster of items is your pen or house keys.


As I have mentioned already, I have narrowed down my search to three handbags. One of them I have been coveting for around three years, and the other two are fairly recent discoveries (within the last 6 months). Let's go through them as well as the pros/cons:


1. MICHAEL Michael Kors Hamilton large tote
Details: 13"Hx14"Wx6 1/4"D, comes with either gold or silver hardware, contains a top handle and shoulder strap. Available in a wide variety of material and colours.

Pros:
- I've been drooling over this bag for years now, so I know I love it.
- Leather quality has been checked out in person and it's very soft.
- I like how I have the option of carrying it either on my shoulder or on my arm. Most of the time I carry on my arm though, so it's not necessarily a game winner.
- It definitely has enough space to fit all my things and a pair of shoes in it.

Cons:
- I'm worried if it's the type of leather bag that feels weighed down after adding things to it as it is a rather large size.
- I can't seem to decide if I prefer silver or gold hardware for it.
- I doubt it has much of different storage area's, so I'm worried about staying organised with this one. I used to have to clean out and re-work everything in my longchamp almost every night keep it organised, and I'm worried it's the same story for this.
-Sometimes I am not sure how I feel about the luggage tag and the MK lock detailing on the front.

2. Modalu Pippa grab
Details: 25Hx36Wx14D (cm) // 9.8Hx14Wx5.5D (in), has a double grab handle, three main zip sections, two zip sections in the front, feet on base, comes in five colours.

Pros:

-It has compartments, and after CapitolHillStyle's review, I know this bag will keep me organised in a way that I'm ready to tackle the day.

- It has a more petite friendly size, so I know I'll be wearing the bag instead of it wearing me. This is very important.

- I know I'll be able to fit all my things in it.

-It has such a classic, no frills silhouette which I'm always a sucker for.

Cons:

- It does not have a shoulder strap, which isn't a deal breaker but I occasionally like them.

-A few years ago I would've complained about the price as it's in British Pounds and the exchange rate was horrible if you were paying in U.S. dollars, but now that the ECB and Bank of England are joining Helicopter Ben in the printing press game my only real concern is shipping costs.

- I really can't find many cons. Nothing irks me about it.

3. J. Crew Biennial Satchel

Details: 11"Hx16"Wx7"D, pebbled leather, double handles. Comes in three colours.

Pros:
- Like the Modalu, it has three compartments. That's always a plus.
- I've always been a pebble leather fan.
- It kind of reminds me of a doctor bag you see in old movies, and I like that because it makes me feel like I can be superwoman with this bag.
-The handles are large enough that I can wear as a shoulder bag also if I choose to.

Cons:
- It's a little too simple on the detailing.
- I'm worried about how well it is in maintaining it's shape. For the price, I'm wondering if I should be getting a bit more.


FINAL VERDICT
All the bags fit my size requirement and will allow me to stay a level of organised. The Biennial will have to wait. This is because I love it in the red. The bright and bold colour makes up for it's lack of hardware detailing, and it's definitely something I will bookmark for the future. Everyone needs a bright statement bag but for now I'm looking to go with a basic black because it's the one bag every woman needs but I don't have. This brings me down to the Modalu Pippa and Michael Kors Hamilton. I have to say I would be happy to have either because at this point I feel like I have been coveting the Modalu just as long as the Hamilton even though I haven't. My final decision is the Modalu Pippa for the reason that I can't find anything about it which is making me feel indecisive. I love the Hamilton tote and will one day own it when I can decide how I feel about the front detailing and which hardware to get. Certainty is key to making a decision.


What do you think? What bag are you coveting right  now?

Midweek Treats: Sleek Leather Boots

This season I'm on a mission to find sleek and sturdy black leather boot to last me many seasons to come. I've been seeing this particular boot from Stuart Weitzman around for a while and absolutely love it. I had to talk my self out of buying it at the Bloomingdale's F&F sale recently. At the end of the day, this may be out of my price range (unless an amazing sale happens...obviously) so I'm thinking of going for the Michael Kors alternative here. My only concern, since I have not tried them on, is the shaft height. Being a petite, everything down to your shoes can swallow you. I do stand a slight chance as I have pretty long legs for a petite gal, so we'll keep our fingers crossed!

With divorce seeming to happen way too often in our society, this was so sweet to read.

After trying pumpkin for the first time over the holiday weekend via my friends pumpkin spice latte and muffin, I wouldn't say no to more pumpkin in my life.

Thanksgiving OOTD

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. As I've mentioned in a previous post, Thanksgiving was never really a holiday we celebrated in my parent's house since it was so close to Christmas (which is when my whole family gets together). This year was slated to be the same way until a last minute trip to visit my dear friend was decided upon.

It was a very lovely weekend and it was certainly a nice change to how I usually spend the holiday. On Black Friday we indulged in some of the sale's. My favourite was the Gap. They had everything on sale for either 20%, 30%, or 60% off. We were able to pick up some nice things. I wanted to share my outfit that I wore out to dinner on Thanksgiving, and would also like to apologise for the blurry quality. I'm so bad at remembering to take photo's when I'm enjoying myself and in this instance I literally ran to my bag, whipped out my camera, and asked my friend to take a few. The lighting in the room was on the other side from where I was standing, so the flash wasn't going off and I wasn't aware until the photo session had finished that actual pictures were taken.

Broadway shirt from Stylemint (size 1)

H&M wool mini skirt in grey (size 4)(this fall)

Hue opaque tights in grey (size 1) (here)

MICHAEL Michael Kors Jada Bootie (size 5.5) (here)

Costume Pearls from NordstromRACK

I really like my outfit. The t-shirt is great and I would definitely pair it with a grey or camel coloured pencil skirt for work with navy tights and pumps. In fact, I've been scouring the web for those sort of items since receiving this shirt in the mail almost two weeks ago. Thank you for reading and enjoy the rest of your day!

Morning Inspirations: Cozy Monday's

Happy Monday everyone! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday weekend. Have you ever had that weekend where when Monday arrives you just want to curl up in a ball? Well, that's exactly all I want to do this morning. Unfortunately, work is calling me as I write this. If that was not on my schedule today, this would be my outfit in a heartbeat:

I have to say I really love this set, really. It's simple but I just think it's so chic. It's been rather warm in the Northeast for this time of year, and with the right layers it's totally possible to skip the jacket. I'm loving the option of a shearling vest for those sort of days. It gives a level of warmth without the bulk. Between the vest and the pop of colour in the red bag, this outfit is far from boring. To boot, you know you'll be super cozy dressed in this. All things I want from an outfit.

Midweek Treats: Thanksgiving

I have a confession. My favourite holiday is Thanksgiving but I never celebrate it. Growing up in my mom's house, we skipped it most years to prepare for Christmas (we hosted my family for it every year). It was a practical thing to do but I was always secretly bummed when the holiday came along. This year being no different, I thought I'd post a few pictures I found that would be part of the equation (people are needed too) in summing up my ideal Thanksgiving.

Even though I prefer chicken to turkey (in most instances), you can't have Thanksgiving dinner without it at the centre of the table.

I'm still secretly wishing I liked pumpkin pie but hopefully I'll learn to make it good enough for others to enjoy, and it'll smell awfully good at that!

I kind of feel stuffing is more important than the turkey. While it's too late to make it for Thanksgiving, I'm definitely learning to make this in time for the Christmas holiday. You can bet I'll spend hours after putting together this post scoping out tons of recipe's to choose from.

Fireplace's... I've always wanted one but never had one. They're so picturesque and add such character to a room. I see sitting in cozy chairs with hot chocolate or hot apple cider in hand, watching the football game (go patriots!) after a stuffed meal.

To all those in the U.S. (even though I'm sure my readership has yet to move past it), I hope you have a wonderful holiday and thank you so much for reading!