Not Your Grandma's Couch

Florals: a huge trend again this spring & summer. Many men, my husband included, are not the biggest fan of these prints...as they remind them of.."my grandma's couch." I can assure you however, these prints are NOT their grandma's couch :) With any print, florals are worn best when styled correctly, or in a more trendy way. Anything can really look outdated if not accessorized or put together nicely.

I was very fortunate to have this entire weekend off..Friday included :D One of my best friends, Johnathan Bernhardt, an EXTREMELY talented flutist, happens to be in town for the week from Philly. I was fortunate enough to catch up with him over lunch (Steak Sandwiches--yumm) at Randal's Frozen Custard. Growing up my grandparents would take me every Saturday for lunch, and it has always been one of my favorite places!

Later in the day, an amazing woman who is like a third grandmother to me, Grandma Judy, was fortunate enough to celebrate her retirement! Shayne & I stopped by to have a drink at Antionio's with her before dinner. I am soooo happy for her, because she truly deserves her retirement!

This floral blazer from Kohls lasted me throughout the day of lunch, errands, drinks, dinner, and gardening. I love the feminine colors that are in the flowers. The cream blouse I paired with it is also from Kohls. While shopping last summer I happened to find these colored skinny jeans at Dressbarn, and they happened to be a perfect match. Also, my Kate Spade Wellesley Martine plays in perfect harmony with some of the purple flowers in the jacket. There are soo many tones of the same color, so I happened to be very lucky that these all played together so nicely! When looking to match colors up, make sure to bring the item you are trying to match along so you can make sure to find the perfect color match. It is quite amazing how different colors look with different lighting. Home Depot even has a light that simulates different types of outdoor light to show you how paint colors will look at different times during the day.

I accessorized with my thrifted nude wedges (originally from Target, $5 at Goodwill), Forever 21 enamel cream bow ring, thrifted stretch chain bracelet, coral tassel bracelet, and new gold arrow bracelet from Groopdealz. Groopdealz is also a company that sends me daily deals updates with jewelry, clothing, accessories, home goods, etc. This gorgeous bracelet I purchased for $6. Shipping is generally about $2 or $3, but I love some of the jewelry items I have found on websites like Groopdealz, Jane.com, and Simple Addiction.

Remember-when color matching make sure to bring the item you are trying to match along shopping with you. Also, anyone can wear florals, as long as they are worn with confidence :)

<3 CMM

Leopard..S T R I P E S & Everything Nice

It has been simply beautiful in Sheboygan lately! I love driving down our street and looking at the way the sun peaks through the trees. There is something so peaceful about it all. I love our neighborhood!

Pattern on Pattern isn't exactly my thing, so Wednesday I chose a semi-safe pairing of Leopard (my favorite) and Stripes! The striped cascading front jacket I am wearing is one of our new arrivals at Dressbarn. I have been searching for a striped blazer, but the cascading front was a bit out of my norm (Around $40). I originally was going to pair it with a black shell and white/cream pants, but unfortunately none of them in my closet quite matched, so I went with black pants. 

These black pants are my absolute favorite dress pants of all time!! They are a pull-up slim leg style from Dressbarn. In fact, I love them so much I purchased more than one pair..Many customers come in and say, "Pull up pants? I don't want grandma pants." These pants though are nothing of the sort. They help to create less bulge in the front than a pant with a button and zipper do. I carry some of my extra weight in my stomach, and often have trouble finding pants that both fit nicely in the legs & rear end region, and that I can zip and button at the waist. These offer the perfect alternative. I have found somewhat similar style pants in a ponte knit (great with boots) at Boston Store, Target, and Kohls. What woman wouldn't want less bulge at the waistline? :)

After choosing to cordinate the jacket with black pants, I was suddenly in a dilemna. Putting a black shell with the black pants felt like it was a bit too much black..afterall it is no longer winter. The first time I had worn the jacket I had been "thrifting" the day before at Salvation Army. I found this perfect neon shell from Chico's. They happened to be running a promotion in which all tops were 99 cents! I really scored on that one!

For a subtle, yet punch of extra pattern, I added my leopard skinny belt (JC Penny) and gold tipped leopard Michael Kors flats. Pattern mixing does not always need to be bold. Add a patterned belt or a great shoe for a subtle look.

Thanks for stopping by!

<3 CMM

The Baymont Beauty i s BACK!

Memorial Day.. a time to remember.. a time to reflect..and a time to be thankful for all those who have served for our freedom and all those who are currently serving to protect our country. Thank you!

Today I was very fortunate to have the day off from Dressbarn and chose to work at the Baymont Inn & Suites. (I have worked there for 5 years, but since working at Dressbarn I have only worked several times per year.) I used to blog about my hotel happenings at the Baymont under the name Baymont Beauty <3. It has been nice to be back this evening, as I love the people I get to have conversation with.

Before I worked however, I was blessed to spend the morning and early afternoon with my family. It reached about 80 degrees at my parents' house today! It was like a summer day in Sheboygan! Shayne grilled out and we had great conversation and company with Shayne, my parents, both sets of grandparents, brother, and his roommate. 

 A blazer and some sparkle always work for an outfit, right? I chose this blush blazer from Forever 21 to pair with my cream sequin tunic from H & M. Wearing the blush color along with pearls and classy sparkle make me feel like a lady. There is something so feminine about the pairing.

Necklace layering has been something that I have been into lately. I seem to need to always wear a statement, because without it my neck feels rather naked. If you are not ready to mix two large pieces, start with something smaller. Wear two long chain or initial necklaces to start out.  My J. Crew doppelganger was purchased from Jane.com and triple pearl strand necklace from Charming Charlie ($20).

One of my favorite pairs of black skinnies from Dressbarn were worn today. Not only do black skinny pants work great with boots during the fall & winter, but they also work great with flats, heels, wedges, and sandals for the spring & summer season.  

More feminine accessories served as the finishing touches for today's ensemble: gold chain bracelet ($1, Thrifted), J. Crew inspired pave link bracelet ($15, Jane.com), and cream floral ring from Forever 21. Moccasins have been all the rage in footwear recently. Although the average slipper moccasin is much too casual for the office, many designers and brands such as Michael Kors & Coach have created a more career friendly version. These blush colored ones by Coach are one of the most comfortable shoes I own. The soft rubber bottom makes them very flexible and easy to wear. I have seen them recently in a variety of colors and styles! 

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day!

Thanks for stopping by,

<3 CMM  

 

 

Pink Flamingo

Today was an incredibly beautiful day in Sheboygan. It seems like Memorial Day weekend is either beautiful or full of rain.. there is not usually an in-between. I am happy that so far this year it has been simply gorgeous out!

I purchased this v-neck pink cardi yesterday from Dressbarn, because they went to 40% off this week. They come in a wide variety of colors..and you can purchase yours here.

I absolute LOVE cardigans! Polka-dot cardigans, glitter cardigans, plain cardigans, I love them all..A cardigan is an essential in every wardrobe. If you are not ready for a bright color or pattern, at least invest in a navy, black, and white one. They work great over dresses, with a plain t-shirt and scarf, or a dressy blouse for the office.

 I paired my new pink cardi with this graduated navy and white striped dress from JC Penny (purchased last year, about $14). Besides white, there are many other colors that complement navy well. These colors include: pink (fuchsia), coral, geranium, yellow, and red (think 4th of July).

Pink nails by Ulta, Navy string tassel bracelet ($3 from Groopdealz), Gold chain bracelet ($1 thrift), cream and gold spike bracelet ($3.50 thrift), and Michael Kors white flats added some of the finishing touches to today's ensemble.

Since I only worked until 3 pm today, I was able to spend some time later this afternoon with Shayne..since he said I could choose whatever I wanted to do today, I chose to go fishing :)

Fishing is always something that I have enjoyed (although I HATE eating seafood & fish). I am a catch and release sort of gal. Growing up my mom spent countless hours sitting in car reading while my brother and I would go fishing. Today Shayne and I went back to one of those places that we always called the Lagoon in Sheboygan Falls. Although the fish were not biting I did manage to hook two pan fish.

I was obviously not going to wear my dress while fishing.. so I changed outfits, while still styling my pink cardigan. Here I paired it with a white v-neck T and floral navy shorts from Dressbarn. As I stated earlier, cardigans work great, because they can be both worn more casual or dressy depending on what they are styled with.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend & Thank you to all those who have served and continue to serve for our country!

<3 CMM

 

 

s T R I P E s

For the past few years the trend of {Stripes} has been all over the fashion and home design world. The previous rule:  wear only vertical stripes to make yourself appear more slender, because horizontal stripes make you look larger is not always true. Stripes are especially popular in dresses and blouses during the spring and summer season, tying in nicely with a recurring nautical theme. 

If you are into pattern mixing stripes can work well with florals, polka dots (small ones work best), or animal prints such as leopard. If you are not ready to mix patterns together pair stripes with a neutral such as denim. 

This great dress I purchased from Old Navy at the Pleasant Prairie outlet. Since it was such a great deal, $12, I also purchased the tan and coral one as well :) (Currently it is about $25 online. Old Navy is one of those stores that does a lot of promotional pricing in which product prices fluctuate. {I personally do not like that!}) One of my favorite things about the dress is the pop of color blocking at the bottom!

 

I chose to pair my dress with my Gap jean jacket, which I picked up from Nikki's Nex 2 New ($12) in Sheboygan. If I had chosen to be more adventurous I could have paired it with my polka dot blazer.

{Erica Lyons necklace $10, Target Glitter Skinny Belt $15}

{Dressbarn hinged turquoise & gold bangles, $15 each}

Since I chose turquoise accessories to finish my outfit I also chose turquoise nails to complement. Naughty Nautical by Essie (about $8) is one of my favorite summer colors. For my accent I once again chose Ride 'em Cowgirl by Ruby Wing ($10). 

These wonderful sandals are from this years Target line. At only $16 they come in black, bone, navy (pictured), cognac, mint, and peach. You can purchase them here. 

Thanks for stopping by!

<3 CMM

 

N E U T R A L I Z E D

Hello All! In Sheboygan we have gone through a bit of a cold snap again this week. Yesterday I was fortunate enough to spend the day with my fellow Dressbarn Store Leaders at a meeting in Madison. I am always so refreshed and inspired after I leave a meeting! As I was driving through Fond Du Lac on my way home I decided to stop at Goodwill, and found these awesome tuxedo pants (found many other things, see below). They are white skinny jeans with black pleather piping down the sides, and still had the tags from Target attached ($3.60!). Since I had my nails painted black and silver from yesterday's meeting I thought I might as well style them right away for today's outfit :)

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines d'orsay as being, "a pump-type shoe or slipper made with a circular vamp and quarter that curves to meet the vamp at the shank line." In simple terms, there is usually a piece covering the toes, nothing in the middle, and then a heel piece. These d'orsay flats are my first pair and I love that they have the neutral toe and black/gold backing. A neutral flat or heel works great to help elongate the leg for those more petite ladies out there. The nude color acts as an extension of the leg, as well as the pointed toe. Ladies, give them a try! I recommend doing some extra walking around in them at the store before you purchase, because like many shoes, the d'orsay are not all very comfortable. These beauties are from the Sam & Libby line at Target ($13 on clearance).

 A black blazer is an essential in every closet! This blazer is from the DIVIDED line at H&M. I have found other great (reasonably priced) blazers at Dressbarn, Kohls, Forever 21, and Target as well. The black and white striped blouse is from Dressbarn. The multi-striped tiered tank is extremely flattering because the layers criss-cross (creating a narrower waist) and conceal (those tummy bulges). Over my two years of working at the store we have had many variations of blouses and dresses using this flattering technique. The large pearl beaded necklace is bound to make a statement with any outfit. It was also purchased from Dressbarn ($24).

The thick bracelet (Goodwill, several years ago, $2), thin bracelet (part of a set from my mom <3 ), and black, silver, and clear ring (Forever 21, several years ago), served as the arm candy for the day. Today was all about the neutrals!

As I stated earlier, I found quite a few other things at Goodwill last night. Searching for these amazing deals has become an obsession of mine to some degree. Almost every day I have off (usually once or twice per week) I go to a thrift or resale store. There is something so rewarding about paying so little for an item that is in near perfect condition or never been worn. I encourage you to give it a try some time!

 {Craft Supplies-Originally from Target-$1.30 for all}

{Silver & Grey Studded Enamel Bracelet-$2.70 & Gold & Cream Studded Stretch Bracelet (I had blogged about this several posts ago.. I had seen it at Target but resisted the temptation to buy.. well then I saw it at Goodwill.. could NOT resist haha)-$3.60-Originally from Target}

{Inspired Dooney & Bourke cross-body bag-$4.50}

{Nude Wedges-Originally from Target-$4.50}

Thank you for stopping by and seeing how I 

N E U T R A L I Z E D

<3 CMM

 

Graduation.. It's Time for Celebration!

Each year thousands of students graduate from college around this time of year. This year my younger brother, Michael Vollrath, was one of these graduates from MIAD (Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design). He graduated with distinction with a degree in Interior Architecture. Interior Architecture is a cross between Architecture and Interior Design. This year the ceremony was held at the beautiful Pabst Theater in downtown Milwaukee.

The cap & gown that are traditionally worn by graduates are Medieval/European in origin. During Medieval times, they did not have heat like we do today (obviously), so the long gowns helped to keep them warm (they sure were not made out of that cheap material that they are today haha). The cap, which is also known as the mortar board, has been the official dress of scholars. It was originally a flat hat that was rounded or with several corners and was commonly knitted or made of velvet. Today, it has continued to be a tradition in high schools, colleges, and university graduations.

It was such a blessing to spend the day with my family! I chose a navy and white theme for my outfit that day. The navy cardigan is one that I purchased several years ago from Abercrombie & Fitch, during my time employed there. I get so much use out of it, because it is such a great basic!

 This graduated striped button up blouse is one of my new favorites from Dressbarn. The graduated stripes have been seen a lot recently in dresses and blouses and can be very flattering because of the different thicknesses. The pop of color in this outfit, my new Kate Spade Wellesley Martine (retails for about $250), was purchased on Vinted for only $65! It was a beautiful day for such a wonderful occasion. I am so happy I was able to be a part of it :)

Congratulations to all of those who have graduated this year!! 

<3 CMM

S P R I N G has Sprung!

WOW! What a difference a week has made here in Sheboygan..last Sunday I was in a sweater and boots for "Cool in Cognac" and this Sunday I whipped out my coral pants for church and lunch with my family.

When those warmer temps first hit for the spring and you are taken out of the polar vortex you immediately want to pull out those bright spring colors, because you feel so alive and wonderful :)

 

I have received so many compliments on my necklace this past weekend..little did everyone know that it was actually two necklaces! It was all thanks to the lovely jscott24 (Jade Scott) who I follow on Instagram. She has such a wonderful sense of style and has a wonderful blog called A Spoonful of Style.

Often she wears this crystal necklace with pearls underneath, which I decided to attempt. It has become one of my absolute favorite combinations! So thank you so much for the inspiration Jade :)

My crystal necklace I purchased from a vender on Jane
(about $15) and the pearls were from Charming Charlie ($20). Try layering some necklaces that would look cute together to make more of a statement! 

For some arm candy I mixed a cream faceted stretch bracelet, simple chain bracelet, and my chain coral tassel bracelet (to match my pants). 

My handbag is a Michael Kors Hamilton Jelly Tote. The Hamilton, which retails for $200-$500 has been an extremely popular style of the Michael Kors handbag. Check out more styles of these  Michael Kors bags :) My particular bag I found on  Vinted which is both a website and smart phone app. Sellers post clothing and accessories that they would like to get rid of. They get to keep 80% of the price that they sell the item for. This beauty I got used at a steal... $70 after shipping :)

The pop of color for this outfit comes from these coral skinnies that I purchased from Target last year (about $20). I paired my Michael Kors cheetah pointy toed flats to add extra interest as there is no other pattern in the ensemble.

A jean jacket is an essential item in every woman's wardrobe. I always admired Ashley's jean jackets at work, but I never could quite find the right one that I liked. I happened to be looking at a local consignment shop, Nikki's Nex 2 New,where I take many of my things to be sold, and found this gem! It was originally from GAP, and was mine for only $12. Underneath I am wearing my new cream sequin T from Old Navy (only $7 on clearance last week!). 

Try wearing a colored pant this spring or summer! Also, if wearing a mainly solid colored outfit opt for a pop of print somewhere, such as a great shoe or hand bag :)

E.M.E.R.A.L.D.

An emerald may be a gemstone, but it is also a color. This color also happened to be the Pantone color of the year in 2013. Each year Pantone chooses a color that will be the "color of the year." You will see this color in fashion, home decor, etc. This year the Pantone color of the year is "Radiant Orchid." Check some more Pantone
colors out!

 Believe it or not, none of these jewelry items were purchased together! I found them all from different places throughout the past year. It always makes me happy when things match so perfectly :) 

The octagon emerald bracelet I purchased from Jane

through the vendor, Bijoux (about $10). The rectangular post earrings with crystal leaflets were purchased from Pear & Simple in Port Washington, WI last summer (about $8). The latest edition to my collection is this emerald tassel necklace that I purchased from Dressbarn on Wednesday (originally $20 on sale for 40% off).

Another trend that has been quite popular recently is snakeskin (or print for that matter). This emerald and black printed snakeskin sweater was also one of my recent finds at Dressbarn in Green Bay, WI. An all over print, as this sweater has, is very flattering because it keeps the eye moving. When the eye is moving it does not focus on any one part of the body. This is often why dresses contain all over patterns, because they can help to conceal our "problem areas." The color that I have chosen today, emerald, also does wonders for those redheaded ladies out there! The color complements the hair and skin very nicely.

If I were wearing this outfit out for drinks with my friends I would pair it with this faux snakeskin envelope clutch (purchased from Forever 21 several years ago). It always does the trick when I just need to hold my keys, I.D., "lips" (lipstick), and monies :) My pants are one of my new buys (at 70% off!) from Dressbarn. The ponte material is EXTREMELY comfortable. They are perfect with boots (as I am wearing here), flats, sandals, or wedges. Ladies, it is okay to wear leggings as pants.. as long as they actually are pants! (Revelation!) It is still not okay to wear thin leggings from Forever 21 that I can see your neon undies through (No thank you..). I am glad we have determined the difference between leggings and ponte legging pants :)

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I was sooo blessed to find these COACH leather boots on sale this winter...Back in the fall I was shopping with my mom looking for a pair and they were nearly $400.. I absolutely loved them, but could not justify spending that at the time.  (I didn't really need them THAT badly..). Lo and behold I was shopping with my mom in March and they were on yellow dot at Boston Store (gotta love those yellow and black dot deals at the BonTon Stores!). The purchase price ended up being only $135. I was so happy and glad that I had waited it out :)

Thanks for stopping by, and remember you can always be Green & Gorgeous!

<3 CMM