My week on Instgram

It's been a very Instagram-worthy week.

Orioles played the Red Sox on their Opening Day at Camden Yards. I ate way too much at my parent's dinner party, particularly overdid it with the Smith Island Cake. I tried a couple of new hair styles. I enjoyed a Sunday brunch overlooking the water in Baltimore. And lastly, I spent quality couch time with Bruiser. Here's my week as seen on Instagram :)

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A Week from the Mirror's Perspective

Ok, so one major downfall of not having roommates is that outfit photos all have to be selfies. With a fashion blog, outfit photos are kind of important. I do realize the selfie method is a little trite at this point, but I've got no one here to take the pics for me. Bruiser isn't quite that skilled yet ;)

On that same note, when I'm at work, it's a little awkward to have someone take a pic of me posing in the middle of the store... so the selfies take place in the fitting rooms.

Bottom line: I am trying to continue to show outfit photos as requested, but please understand and excuse the fact that most of them I've taken myself.

That said... moving right along!

This past week was a casual one for me. It's still so freakin' cold, but I am tired of winter. A couple days this week, I brought sandals to change into once inside. Pretending it's summer put a smile on my face! Here's what I wore this week:

Flannel: J.Crew, Leggings: Francesca's, Boots: Hunter, Shirt: Nordstrom
Scarf: Handmade, Headband: LOFT

Sweater, Jeans: LOFT, Sandals: Nine West, Jewel Bracelet: J.Crew

Sweater: Gap, Jeans: LOFT

Dress: South Moon Under, Scarf: Francesca's, Flats: Tory Burch,
Bag: LOFT, Jacket (old)

What did you wear this week? Would love to see some looks and get fresh ideas from you guys!

LBB: Little Black Blazer

Whether you prefer a more tailored fit or relaxed, boyfriend fit, a little black blazer is this fall's must-have piece.

The best thing about a good black blazer: it will work with almost everything. Paired with jeans and pumps, a blazer elevates an outfit and carries it seamlessly from day to evening. A boyfriend blazer over leggings with boots is a fun, effortless, daytime look. Swap out the leggings for skinny jeans, and replace the boots with sky-high pumps, and BOOM: you're ready for happy hour!

Here are some of my favorite LBB's:

J. Crew Schoolboy Blazer, $198

Gap Classic Two-Button Blazer, $98

Banana Republic Heritage Tipped Black Blazer, $130

Michael Kors Ruched Pocket Boyfriend Blazer, $110

Vince Camuto Faux Leather Trim Boyfriend Blazer, $179

The other day, I wore my LBB from Banana Republic to work over jeans, a flowy black blouse, and a statement necklace. Photo is a little blurry but you get the idea.

Do you have a favorite LBB? Where did you get it? I'm always on the lookout for another one to add to my wardrobe :)

Playful in Polka Dots

I love a bright print in summertime. I also love sundresses. Therefore, a sundress with a bright print is the ultimate WIN for me!

In my opinion, dresses are the most flattering clothing choice for my figure. I'm "hippy" and hold most of my weight in my midsection, so a fit-and-flare style such as this dress helps hide the unwanted curvature :)

This yellow polka dot print is not only adorable, but paired with the dress' high neck and low back, the outfit has a 50's feel. I added on some wedges for height, and a statement necklace in emerald green for a pop of contrast and color.

Not a wedge or heel gal? Dress it down by swapping in sandals, and layering on a denim jacket.

Make it your own:

Dress: LOFT, $89.50

Denim Jacket: Old Navy (Similar, $29)

Necklace: J. Crew (Similar, $165)

Wedges: Nordstrom, Franco Sarto, $109.90 (on sale now for $69.90)

Sandals: LOFT, $29.50

Friday Fashion Inspiration

I know it's been a tense week with everything that's happening in Boston related to the marathon bombers. I just wanted to say my thoughts and prayers are still with the people of Boston. I know you will be resilient, and come out an even stronger community after this tragedy.

That said, I did put together a post for today...

It's a fashion inspiration post today on GJU. I follow several fashion bloggers, and always love the outfit ideas they come up with, and how they pair different pieces together in fresh, new ways.

One of the bloggers I like is Lauren from The Pear Shape: Fashion for the Hip-Endowed. I'm on the same page as Lauren... my hips don't lie.

One of Lauren's posts from last summer really caught my eye. I liked how she paired a casual chambray top, knotted at the bottom, with a more streamlined pencil skirt. To add some color, she layered on a statement necklace in a bright coral hue. 

[GJU Sidenote: Pairing blousy/voluminous tops with slimmer bottoms (such as pencil skirts or skinny jeans) is a really flattering silhouette on curvier women. It created a cinched waist, drawing the eye down and elongating the body.]

Photo from Lauren's post, Purple Haze

Imitation is the ultimate form of flattery, so I decided to recreate this outfit. I changed it up a little, adding some of my own personal touches, and tweaking it to be more weather appropriate for Baltimore. I wore this outfit a couple weeks ago when it was still pretty chilly in Baltimore, so instead of metallic flats, I wore tights and boots. Additionally, I kept it casual by wearing my chambray shirt open with a polka dot shell underneath, instead of knotting it at the bottom.

Is this something you would wear? How would you style it? Would love to hear your thoughts and comments :)

Make it your own:

Chambray top: J. Crew, $78

Polka dot shell: J. Crew, $110

Pencil Skirt: J. Crew, $98

Necklace: LOFT, $44.99

Earrings: The Limited, $19.90

Boots: Madden Girl (Similar style, $42.94)

Pop of Teal

I'm really excited about this post because the photos were taken by my friend, Joe Sterne! He's a great photographer here in Baltimore, so we'll miss him (and his lovely fiance) when they move to LA in a few months!

Onto the outfit:

I really love how the necklace pops against the black and red backdrop!

Don't be afraid to add in patterns to your outfits. I wanted to show you an alternative to the black tank featured above. Polka dots!

Close up of the necklace!

All photo credits to Joe Sterne Photography.

Make it your own:

Shirt: J. Crew Factory (similar) $34.50

Jeans: J. Crew Factory (similar) $64.50

Tank: Target $5

Cardigan: Gap (several years ago) Similar, $44.95

Necklace: Handmade piece from a craft show

Shoes: Tory Burch $195

My Happy Medium: Errand Duty!

So... not everyday can be as fabulous as I'd like it to be in the wardrobe department. It's a sad reality.

On days when I have a bunch of errands to run & things to do around town, I'm not about to traipse around in a pencil skirt and my favorite platform pumps. On that same token, I don't like using it as an excuse to run all over Baltimore county in sweats. There has to be a happy medium, right?

I like to think so.

Here is what I wore last week on my To-Do List Day. Not as "shlumpy" as sweats and a tee, but not as nice as a dress and flats. It's a happy medium, a compromise-- if you will.

((Also.. my outfit is entirely from the J.Crew factory store. Great deals there this time of year, right after the holidays!))

This sweatshirt has a small size zipper, only on the left side. Fun feature :)

I really loved how the side zipper showcased the feminine polka dot pattern underneath.

Flats with glitter at the tip. I refer to them as "Twinkle Toes"

Make it your own:

Polka Dot Tee: $24.50

Sweatshirt: $24.99 (Similar; My sweatshirt is a bit different with the zipper; couldn't find online) 

Jeans: Matchstick, $59.50

Flats: $69.50 (Similar; My flats were on clearance; couldn't find them online)

P.S. Thanks @ChrisMinMD for allowing me to borrow his car which provided a much more lovely backdrop than then leafless trees in my backyard.

.:.:.:. Pink & Polka Dots! .:.:.:.

Good Morning & Happy Monday to you, GJU Readers!

Today's post features one of my Black Friday purchases (oops!) that is quickly becoming one of my favorite tees. I like trying to switch it up, and keep my outfits visually appealing. Instead of just a plain tee, Madewell came out with these sheer polka dot and striped tees to go over a solid tank underneath. I absolutely love this idea. You can wear any color you want -- and it just adds a little flair and personality to the look. Not to mention- the back/sleeve part of the shirt is super soft. Big fan.

Here's how I paired the top. What do you think?!

Not sure if you can tell from the photos, but I have a dark purple tank under the tee. I also added on a Merlot colored scarf and cozy jacket!

Make it your own:

Tee: Madewell, $55 (Similar)

Jacket: Candie's for Kohl's (Got this back in high school about 6 years ago)

Leopard Flats: J. Crew Factory

Turquoise Earrings: Handmade from craft fair

Keeping it Simple: A Day-to-Night Casual Look

I recognize that the majority of my outfits are geared toward a corporate work environment, and that not everyone can relate to that on a day-to-day-basis. So.. today's look is a more casual outfit :)

This outfit it great for a busy day, because it transitions perfectly from the office/running errands---> dinner and happy hour. Wear a leather jacket/blazer with flats during the day, and change to heels/lose the jacket for a night out! Incorporate your favorite denim and remember to just keep it simple with accessories (especially if you're blinging it out on your shirt).

Quick Tip: Don't be afraid to wear a little bit of sparkle to work or while you run errands during the day. There's no need to reserve all your glitter for a night out! If you work in a more business-casual setting, keep it appropriate by laying a suit jacket or boyfriend-style blazer on top.

Make it your own:

Top: Charlotte Russe (This store has the best affordable funky tops!)

Jeans: Matchstick, J. Crew

Flats: Steve Madden

Friday Casual

Happy Friday!

Today's look is a loose interpretation of one of my favorite blogger's outfits. I've linked to and mentioned J's Everyday Fashion before, because  that particular blog is one of the reasons I started my own. It was one of my biggest inspirations in doing this whole project!

For today's outfit, I did a work-appropriate (but a bit more casual) modification of this look:

As you can see, I wore a similar jacket style, as well a polka dot top to match J's dress. I added a large jewel necklace as well to match the inspiration photo. It was a bit colder out so instead of a dress, I wore a top and pants.. but it still resembles the original outfit. (These black pants are actually black denim.. they're the BEST for a work day when you really just don't want to wear suit pants/dress/skirt and want to take it easy. They look like nice pants, but have the comfort of jeans!)

Also-- Loving this new nail polish! It's such a great color for the start of Fall; sort of a merlot-ish hue. It's called "Miami Beet" by OPI.

Thoughts?!

Have a great weekend!

Make it your own:
Jacket: Loft (Similar)
Shirt: Gap $34.99
Pants: Gap (Similar)
Necklace: J. Crew (Similar)
Nail Color: Miami Beet, OPI $8

Weekend Style Mid-Week: Denim & Leather

So you guys know by now that I work in a office environment, which influences how I dress myself each morning. I love being corporate Barbie on a daily basis!

However, not all of you work in offices and can be a bit more casual during the week. Hopefully, this post speaks to you!

I was inspired by a couple different outfits I saw pairing leather jackets with straight or skinny dark denims.

Here's my modification of the denim & leather look. It's a casual interpretation complete with skinny dark jeans, a loose embellished black top, and a black leather jacket. [[I also curled my hair for fun, inspired by the last pair of images above!]]

With the jacket...

And without the jacket :)

So throw on your leather jacket and dark denims, and rock it out this week!

Make it your own:

Shirt: Gap (Similar) $16.99-$24.99

Jeans: Kensie $29.99

Flats: Steve Madden $46.99

Jacket: Colebrook ( I actually picked up this jacket when I was spending the weekend Philly for $20!)