Flower POWER

Florals & Lace are once again a huge trend this year. I love the feminine touch they give most garments. Tuesday's outfit was centered around this cream floral lace pencil skirt from Maurices that I purchased last year. I had yet to wear it (It has been sitting on my roll rack with the tags attached for quite some time), as I was struggling with how to style it. 

I knew I wanted to incorporate either mint, peach, or coral for the top. Each time I tucked them into the skirt however, the colors either showed through the lace of the skirt, or washed me out. I then had a thought, what about chambray?!

I recently found this sleeveless button up chambray blouse at Salvation Army. Originally from Kohls, guess how much it cost?....ONLY 99 Cents!! Because I still wanted to incorporate the coral, mint, or peach I paired the ensemble with this coral scalloped edge cardi from New York & Company. 

To extend the floral theme to my top half, I chose this J Crew inspired cream rosette necklace to accessorize with. (Purchased from either Brina Box, Groopdealz, or Jane.com---I have 5 of them in different colors & cannot remember where I aquired them all from.)

The cognac stretch belt came with a dress I purchased at Dressbarn recently. It is always great when you are able to re-purpose a belt that comes with a different blouse or dress! I carried the cognac to my shoes with these great Sandals from Target's collection last year :)

<3 CMM

High Society

Swirls, Cords, and Flowers; some of the components of Sunday's patterned ensemble.

Fast fashion retailers & department stores, Dressbarn included, look to the runways to get inspiration for their latest designs & purchases for upcoming seasons. This blouse was purchased from Dressbarn last year from our "High Society" line. Inspired by both Gucci & Chanel this blouse has a slightly open back, giving it some extra detailing.

A colored pant works great to tie an outfit all together. These mint/sky blue skinnies were purchased from...believe it or not...WALMART for only $13! Recently I have purchased a pair of white skinnies & pink skinny corduroys for $15 for both pairs! I must say, WALMART has stepped up their fashion game in the past year. 

Not only has WALMART stepped up their clothing game, but also their accessories as well too! They have Michael Kors inspired totes for $18, scarves for $6, and adorable bracelets. This white enamel bangle with gold crested circles is Kate Spade & Cartier inspired. Available in several colors and at only $5 they are truly a steal! Dressbarn has the exact same bracelet for $15. The nude wedges are originally from Target, however I purchased them from Goodwill for $5. When I had purchased them Target still had them for sale for over $20 in the store! It is great to shop around, because so often you can find a great deal, you just need to dig!

<CMM

[NEON] & Pleather

Pleather: Plastic+Leather, a very common material in the fashion world today, but it was not always this way. Making its entrance in the 1970's, it was first seen as the poor man's leather. Today, however it has truly made a re-entrance in the fashion market. Its ease of dying & manipulation (lesser cost too), has made it a great alternative. Another increasing factor in its popularity is the growing movement against fur & animal hides. 

I love the ox blood pleather jacket, black pleather pants & the black perforated pleather skirt that I have (I am wearing it today), and would prefer them to leather any day!

Skirts, pants, and jackets are some of the most popular uses for pleather in clothing. It is also used heavily in handbags and detailing on blouses. This black pleather perforated pencil skirt I purchased recently from Dressbarn for 70% off. I absolutely love how it is slightly more interesting than a basic black pencil skirt! I paired with it a black & white checked blouse with back zipper detailing from Target (clearance-$12). For the pop of neon I chose one of my favorite highlighter yellow cardigans from Old Navy. 

What outfit is complete without accessories..right? I have been really loving studs & spikes lately! I love the statement that they make with any outfit. There is the gothic way to go..and the fashion forward way to go when it comes to them. 

This neck candy consists of two necklaces. The gold spikes with rhinestones was picked up from DEB ($2.50), and the cream bone spikes & black necklace was purchased from Groopdealz. 

When there is neck candy..there usually is an arm party to go with it :)

These black & gold spiked heels are gorgeous ( if only I could walk in them comfortably & for long periods of time haha). Inspired by some of the Christian Louboutin & Valentino designs, I purchased them from TJ Maax several years ago. The cocktail ring I chose to complement today's ensemble (cream enamel, gold, and rhinestones) is from Forever 21.

Give a fast fashion pleather piece a try, I'm sure you will like it (both the way it feels & the tiny dent it will make it your wallet) :)

<3 CMM

Coral Crush

Coral: the bright hue that has been seen all around the fashion and home design world the past few years. Close family members of this color include geranium and peach. It is a color that makes you feel happy when you wear it. It also plays well with most skin tones & can be very flattering!

 Since it was such a beautiful day yesterday, coral seemed like the perfect color to wear on my day off full of activities. I was blessed to be able to spend some time with my goddaughter, Ella, best friend, Amanda, and the new dog, Olivia :)

I love this bright Lauren Conrad blouse I purchased from Kohls last year. It was one of those great deals in which I loved it when it was not on sale so I decided I really did not need it (We all do that right?). I happened to be shopping a month or two later & found it on clearance...chaaaa-ching! I love the scalloped design on the top and the chiffon lightweight sleeves. Simple gold chains add the perfect finishing touches, as a statement necklace would be too much with the piece. ($1.99 for both at Goodwill) 

The wedges are one of those great Target steals that you love to find. I had seen them at 30% off & had decided I liked them, but was unsure how much wear I would get out of them. I went back and they were at $15..still decided I did not NEED them.. finally I had gone back a different day and they were 70% off at $8.98.. This pair was the only pair left & in my size too! (Size 10..that never happens!) It must have been a sign, so I decided I could use them in my closet after all :)

Who really wants to spend their day off at the DMV? We all hear it or experience it..the long waits..crabby people..etc. I had to go have an emissions test before I could renew my plate & transfer ownership of my car. I was in & out within five minutes.. so it was on to the DMV. I was so happy to see only 15 people waiting..woohoo..the room was not packed. 

Even though I have been driving the blue cavi now for 7 years.. it was finally time to transfer it from my parents name to my own..so I suppose technically this is my first car! I was grateful to have a pleasant experience this time around & realized I was wearing the same outfit the last time I went there (imagine that haha). I was happy to be in and out in under an hour. The DMV..not so bad this time around :)

What a perfect day it was!

<3 CMM