Inspired by my ipod...

I wore this outfit a few weeks ago when it was still chilly. This cardi really is a go-to piece for me. I love pairing it with all sorta of different colors. This particular color combo was actually inspired by my ipod -- the case on my ipod is teal, and the earbuds are orange. I recently started listening to my ipod again during my commute, so the color combo has been in my brain...



Top: H&M
Cardi: TJ Maxx
Pants: NY&Co
Shoes: Aeropostale
Earrings: CATO

Closeup:


I have been doing quite a bit of shopping lately. I think since I had put myself on a shopping diet to prepare for the wedding, I'm now rebelling against saving. Granted, old habits die hard -- I still can't help but look for deals and the best price on things -- but I have been picking up items left and right lately. I have half a closet of things y'all haven't even seen!

Unrelated:
Do you Pinterest?
If so, find me here: http://pinterest.com/evanadine/

Black-Out Challenge, Day Three...

I once asked for help finding other colors that I could pair with this skirt. I love this skirt -- it is soft and comfy, has pockets, and an elastic waistline which is very forgiving. However, I often find myself limiting myself to purple, violet, and white when finding tops to pair with it. Last time I wore it, I paired it with a black top, but LyddieGal had suggested that I try pairing it with rust or teal.



Top: thrifted
Skirt: NY&Co
Shoes: xhilaration, thrifted
Belt: NY&Co
Earrings: Claire's
Necklace: Laila Rowe

Closeup:


I'm not sure the drapey top was quite right to pair with the flowy skirt, but I think belting it helped rein it in a bit. I was glad I added the shoes so that the top didn't seem to come completely out of left field.

What do you all think of this pairing?
Do you think it works?

Lizzie the Lizard...

While this top photographs a little "expectant mother," in person, it wears beautifully blousy.



Top: H&M
Skirt: D'Rae's Closet
Shoes: NickelsSoft, thrifted
Cami: Forever XXI
Scarf: Icing by Claire's
Earrings: Claire's
Lizard Pins: thrifted, originally earrings, altered by me
Nail Polish: very old

Closeup:


These awesome lizard brooches were originally a pair of earrings. One hung by the head, and the other by the tail. Oh, how I wish I'd snapped a picture of me wearing them as intended before altering them into brooches. Really, they were totally hilarious.
I don't often wear yellow gold. It's not a color of metal that I think suit me. However, while I love metal-mixing on other bloggers, it's not something I've mastered yet myself, so I steer clear for now. Instead, I own just a few yellow-gold-colored pieces, just so I can accessorize with awesome stuff like these brooches.

I decided to give myself a home mani-pedi, since I have been in desperate need of one for months now. In an attempt to save money still for the wedding, I opted to give myself a manicure, and I decided to use this purple polish that has been in my collection for years. Seriously, y'all, I have had this bottle since high school? middle school maybe?
Dear fiance pointed out his concerns about makeup that was that old, but I assured him this rule didn't apply to nail polish. Which of course, got me thinking -- so long as it's still the proper texture to be used, DOES nail polish "go bad?" I was shocked that this bottle was still usable, but until he said something, it never entered my mind that it may be bad for me...
What say you?

Kickass Scarab...

Today is another day that I decided to follow Kimberly's Inspiration Calendar. Today's theme was "Dress with a Major Necklace." Truly, I was already thinking of wearing this necklace since I haven't sported it in far too long, so when I saw the theme for today, this outfit was a no-brainer.
Now, while I did make this necklace (and the matching link bracelet) myself, I totally have to give credit where credit is due. I first saw this pendant over on Erin's blog, and when I saw it at my local craft store I snapped it up and totally rode off her. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, no?



Dress: Target
Cardigan: NY&Co
Shoes: Fioni, thrifted
Earrings: aqua stones (unseen) Claire's
Scroll Bracelet: Claire's
Link Bracelet: made by me
Scarab Necklace: made by me

BTW, please excuse the huge nasty bruise on my leg -- dance team is kicking my keister! Despite being a dancer for almost all of my life, I took several years off from competing or even really seriously practicing when I was in college and for a few years afterward. Despite teaching itty-bitties for a few years since then, my body just doesn't work the same way it used to! Needless to say, joining a competitive hip-hop team may have been a bit ambitious. ;)

PS: now that I have a few posts under my belt, I'm interested in hearing your feedback. What are you interested in seeing here on my blog? Simple outfit posts like I have been doing? Coupons/sale alerts? Analysis?

Long Weekend Ahead...

I have this coming Monday off for the MLK holiday. My fiance and I are going to be spending much of the weekend looking at rental homes, as our lease is up at the end of February, and we don't want to stay on where we are living now. Since we have so many places lined up to look at, we decided to take Friday (tomorrow) off to make an extra-long weekend out of it. In addition to house-hunting, I also have 2 bridal shows, 2 concerts, and an extra long dance practice scheduled for the weekend -- we shall see how many of those actually happen.



Dress: Mossimo via swap
Tights: We Love Colors
Shoes: xhilaration, thrifted
Earrings: Laila Rowe
Necklace: vintage, thrifted
Belt: TJ Maxx

I wasn't initially sure about the color combination I put together with this outfit -- mainly, I wasn't sure if the dress and the shoes went together. However, the belt contains both a dark blue and a pale blue (though the pale blue of the belt isn't the same as the blue of the shoes) so I decided that it worked.

I think a lot of fashion is attitude.
I have seen so many women wearing amazing outfits, but there is something in their personality or demeanor that makes the outfit just not-quite-right on them. Conversely, I have also seen ladies wearing outfits that would look totally ridiculous on others, but because they have the attitude to make it work, they totally rock the ensemble.

For example, take the lovely Gwen Stefani and her posse of Harajuku girls:

(image originally found here)

These gals have decided that they look hawt, and thus are ROCKIN their fashion!
However, if I were walking down the street in that getup, I'd look a total fool!

The lesson?
If you decide that something works, and you carry that attitude along with you, others will agree. It's all about confidence.

Learning Curve...

I have learned a lot of styling tips and tricks in the time that I have been reading the fashion pages, and I have incorporated several of them in this outfit.



Gray Top: NY&Co
Teal Top: thrifted
Floral Dress (worn as skirt): Swapped
Tights: Spanx
Boots: Ros Hommerson
Belt: NY&Co (I think)
Earrings: made by me

Here are some of the things I have picked up from other bloggers that helped me pull this outfit together:

(1) Layering for warmth.
(2) Making non-seasonal clothing appropriate for the current season.
(3) Turning a dress into a skirt.
(4) TIGHTS!
(5) Thanks to Allie of at My Wardrobe Today for featuring these fabulous boots, "Maryland" from Ros Hommerson. I have a very hard time finding boots to fit over my calves. Combine that with my being extremely picky, and that totals up to two years that I searched for the right pair of boots. As soon as I saw Allie's post featuring these beauties, I knew I had to have them! Alas, they were sold out in my size, but the wonderful customer service staff took it upon themselves to email me and let me know that they would be back in stock in mid-December. So onto my Christmas list they went, and Santa brought them to me! YAY!
(6) Belting.
(7) Hidden layers (you can't see the extra socks I have under the boots or the cami I am wearing beneath the dress and two tops).

Is this the perfect outfit? No.
But it does get me thinking creatively about my clothes, and it inspires me to actually wear what's in my wardrobe.
I received many compliments, comments, and questions on this outfit yesterday, so I think I must be doing something right?