Pink Peonies

Attending a designer fashion show calls for a glamorous look that is sure to be a bit different than your average everyday look. Last Friday I had the privilege of attending the Mount Mary University student designer fashion show held at the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee. This event is coupled with the graphic art & interior design show as well and is known as CREO, meaning to create. #CREO2015
All aspects of the show are put together by students from the fashion show coordination class. The garments modeled are all created by the fashion design students. Several years ago it was my class that put together this show (I can't believe it's been that long already!) I always love to see all the beautiful pieces that are created (partially because I could never create such things--let alone sew). It's also great to support my university as an alumna.

Although this wasn't a couture designer show I still wanted to look nice :) I choose to be dressed from head to toe in some of my latest dressbarn purchases. The focal point of this look is this Calvin Klein dress that reminds me of pink peonies. I love how feminine and classic it is. What drew me to this dress other than its gorgeous color was the interest it created on the upper half. The crop illusion style gives the impression that it is a very high-waisted skirt with an over-hanging crop top.

For my necklace I chose this fringe style that is part of the dressbar jewelry collection at dressbarn. I love that this is a piece I can wear with nearly anything in my closet. Because I went with more of a statement necklace I chose simple gold bangles for a little arm candy.

I am in loveeeee with these neutral wedges from dressbarn (I may go and buy a second pair so I have two!) I've gotten lots of use out of them in the few weeks I've had them. I wish I were a heels girl, but they are just not for me. A wedge offers a great alternative for me, because my weight is evenly distributed and it is very easy to walk in!

The fashion show was amazing (it went by way too quickly though of course!) After the show Maranda and I had the pleasure of attending a Brewers vs Cubs game. Although the Brewers lost the game that night it was still a fun Friday!

  <3 CMM

Tomato

"You say To-May-Toe, I say To-maa-toe," however you say it tomato is in!
Tomato is a very close cousin to red, which has meanings of passion, anger, strength, power, romance, heat, desire, and courage to name a few. Tomato is a yellow based red, and is more orange in hue. Although this color is perfect for fall, it truly is a win win year round.

With temperatures heating up this weekend in the upper 60's (woohooo), I wanted to bring out a truly bright outfit to embrace the warmth! The tomato skirt I found at TJ Maxx for $20 several weeks ago. I am a big fan of the pencil skirt, and not so much for A-line. This style takes a semi-different approach with slits on each side, but is still work appropriate. 

Tucked into the crepe skirt I chose this gingham Joe Fresh button-up ( I have it in neon lime as well ) found at JC Penny on clearance. I love that it can be worn dressed up, but also is perfect with a pair of jeans as well too! Mixing dressy pieces with more casual pieces is totally okay, and it allows you to create so many more outfit options in your wardrobe. 

I lovee these wedge sandals from dressbarn! Heels + Me = no bueno...but these have just a small wedge and are very comfortable. You can get yours here for only $36!

I hope you all were able to enjoy the beautiful weekend!

<3 CMM

P A L M

As temperatures warm up, one thing remains on trend year after year, tropical prints! The palm leaf print is definitely a fun way to embrace this trend. Use it to whisk you away to South Florida or the sandy shores of Mexico, even if you cannot physically be there. Although I am personally not very invested in this print, I love these palm print ankle pants from dressbarn!

At $34.50 you cannot go wrong with these pants. You can get your very own pair here

The website describes this style of pant as, " The smart fit gets a printed update! Sleek and polished; these pants are something to brag about. Our smart fit pants feature a modern fit that sits lower on the waist and fits straight through the hip with an elongated leg shape."

They are available in palm print, floral (black & white), rose, white, khaki, and black. 

Because the pants obviously have a lot going on I chose a simple black high/low shell from Kohl's. 

I chose  this emerald tassel necklace from dressbarn to bring in the green from the pants. 

This straw clutch is also another favorite from dressbarn. Although I do not use it often, I love how perfectly it ties in with the style of this look.

 I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

<3 CMM

MiXT Part 2

Black & White, how can anything be more classic than that? I had the pleasure of spending half of last week in New York for work. It was so nice to meet with an amazing team, and get to do a little shopping as well ;) One of the places we went was the dressbar pop-up store on 5th ave in NYC. The store is open until May 31st, and is literally FULL of dresses and accessories. 

 Amongst other things I found this leopard print dress at the pop-up store. It is part of the MiXT by Heidi Weisel collection, and I am in looove! At $48 you cannot go wrong with this beauty. I love the exposed zipper up the back. Not everyone is too keen on this trend, as I've heard from others that it looks like a quality issue or "tacky." I personally love the exposed zipper on dresses, and find that it looks youthful and trendy.

 First I styled the dress without my moto jacket & with bold statement earrings. This pair is a large black disc with silver fringe--they definitely pack a punch! At dressbarn for $12 you can't go wrong with this pair :)

I found this black tweed bag online for $50. Being that it is Kate Spade, and retails for over $300 I would say this is a good deal!

It served as the perfect carry-on for my flight.

For an evening out, or cooler day this moto jacket (my favorite one) does just the trick. I also switched out my earrings to studs and added silver strand necklaces. I found these black wedge sandals on sale at Boston Store for $20. Although this past weekend I went back for the same ones in Cognac and they were back up to $42! (So I passed on them) I do not care for promotional sort of pricing :/ I'm hoping to find more wedge type strappy sandals for summer over the next few months! (at good prices of course hehe)

I hope you all had a great weekend!

<3 CMM

MiXT

Heidi Weisel, a designer who started her collection with 6 LBDs {Little Black Dresses}, has been known for her dress designs and use of different textures. She has partnered with dressbarn to create an exclusive collection called MiXT. I absolutely love her collection, which you can shop here. I recently purchased my first piece from her line, and I styled it for work on Saturday.

 I love the sharp contrast of black and white on this dress. The MiXT collection is all about black, white, and neon. This particular dress is also available in an all black style. The cotton jersey top is so soft and comfortable, and the white bottom is a geometric eyelet. Does this dress look at all familiar to you? If you have seen the 1955 classic, "To Catch a Thief," you may remember the black and white dress that Grace Kelly wore that inspired this Heidi Weisel piece.

 

 Much like Grace Kelly's dress pictured above, this dress is also a bit more of a "midi" length. It falls somewhere in the middle (especially based on your height) of the knee and ankle. Generally, I feel weird wearing dresses that come below my knees (other than maxi dresses), and prefer them to be at least an inch above my knee. This dress is different however, and I feel so comfortable in it!

 

Because I do live in Wisconsin where it isn't exactly "warm" yet, a jacket or coverup is a must when outside. To stick with the edgy/modern trend I went with my favorite black moto jacket (clearance at JCP, $24). 

To accessorize I chose neon accents, because I love the way they pop in a look, particularly with black & white. My favorite is the neon and black saffiano leather Michael Kors bag I found at Goodwill for $35! White shoes are another big trend for spring, and these heels are no exception. I found these Michael Kors beauties on clearance at TJ Maxx for $10! You all know how I love a great find :) I hope you all had a wonderful Easter!!

<3 CMM

Hints of Mints

It has been so nice temperature wise, I am sad to see that it should be back in the 30's by the end of the week. Might as well embrace the nice weather while I can right?

Every girl can use a LWD {Little White Dress} in their closet (amongst many other things as I have said in previous posts). Pair a white lace dress with short cowboy boots and jean jacket & you have the perfect flirty outfit for a summer country concert with girlfriends or your significant other.

I love this dress I purchased from dressbarn last year. {I'm tempted to purchase another cute one we have in the store right now i'm terrible!.} It came with the cognac belt, which I have gotten sooo much use out of with other dresses that I have in my closet.

For my day at work I chose this thrifted Gap jean jacket to go over the dress (I get a wee bit too much wear out of this piece, but that's okay--it results in a verrryy low cost per wear). Mint is a great spring time color, and I love to wear it. This beaded necklace is from Charming Charlie, and currently WAL-MART is selling a braided sort of style for $3 on clearance in all sorts of fun colors!

To tie in the cognac color of the belt I chose these wedges from Payless (I found them on clearance for $9 during winter..best time to get summer clearance!).

For my #ArmParty I chose my go to hinge bracelets from WAL-MART. How can you go wrong at a $1 each?!

I hope you have all been enjoying the nice weather!

<3 CMM

 

Geranium Crush

When that first "heat wave" hits during winter it makes me want to break out my bare legs, peep toes, and sandals. Yesterday this was very true, and I'm looking forward to the week ahead which should be in the upper 40's!

At my dressbarn location yesterday we had our first in store style show, so of course I wore a dress the rest of the day to embrace our new dressbar launch & the style show :)

The look really had a mix of textures. Although all my pieces were solids, all of them, (even my shoes) had a pattern built into the material they were made with.

Geranium (coral) is one of my favorite spring/summer colors to wear! It also helps that it is a universally flattering color on nearly every skin tone. It pops and and brings life to nearly anyone.

You can see the mix of textures on the left! 

I loooove the peeptoe heels with bows on the toes by Dana Buchman for Kohl's. On clearance they only had a size 6.5 and I was very disappointed, but a few months later I found a 9.5 (must have been a return) for less than $15!

Both the dress and the textured moto jacket are from dressbarn. The jacket is currently 50% off, comes in navy as well, and works with so many other pieces!

 A neutral colored bag is an essential for any wardrobe. This Kate Spade bag I found on Poshmark for under $60, and I love the classic quilted style!

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend & enjoyed the warmer temps!

<3 CMM