Rusty Palette

I have a slight obsession with anything high-waisted. I love the way it accentuates the waist line and elongates my legs for a subtle sexiness! 

In this high-waisted shorts outfit, I added a fun pop of color to the rest of the earthy hues with my latest ROSS finds: a lovely burnt orange bag and studded sandals.

What are your thoughts on high-waisted shorts? Would you rock 'em or knock 'em?

What I Am Wearing:

Top - Target

Peacock Feather Necklace - Forever21

Shorts - Forever21

Bag - ROSS

Steve Madden Sandals - ROSS

OOTD: Lunch with Hubby

♪ ♫ Who wears short shorts ♫ ♪ ? Apparently, this girl (points to self) hehe! Lately I've been on a shorts kick because the single thought of pants will put me in risk of heat stroke, okay maybe not that bad, but it's freakin' hot out! I decided to pair these teeny shorts with a fuller coverage top to achieve a more classy (vs. trashy) look. Showing ONE part of your body is truly the key, too much skin and you're headed for skanky not swanky ;-).

What I Am Wearing:

Top - JCPenney

Shorts - Abercrombie & Fitch

Shoes - Charlotte Russe

 Necklace & Ring - St. Augustine Gift Shop

Layering in the Summer Heat

There's something about layering that makes me feel so much more put together. A blazer, cardigan, or coat really help to complete an outfit. But, who can bear to wear these things on a steaming summer day? Layering in hot weather is a lot easier than I used to think. In fact, I thought it was dang near impossible! It has only been over the past couple of years that I came to the realization that there are MANY options for assembling a breezy layered summer look. Here's a list of my favorite:

• Other Shirts
• Vests (cargo vests are especially cute and trending now)
• Cropped cardigans
• Cropped denim jackets 
• Silky scarves 

For the look below I chose to add a white button up that is loose fitting; a little rolling of the sleeves and BAM....instant summer cuteness!

Do you layer pieces in the heat? How do you manage to look polished sans layers??

What I Am Wearing:

Button Up - JCPenney

Top - Macy's

Shorts - American Eagle

Shoes/Belt - I have no idea, sorry!

Earrings - Forever21

Pattern & Pops of Color

I'm not too sure about this outfit's silhouette but, what I am sure of is the color combination. When I wear anything with a pattern, I usually keep it simple by just coordinating it with one of the colors already in the print. I didn't want to do that today because, in all honesty I thought it would appear as if I was celebrating the 4th of July ahead of time. So to change it up a tad, I went with a color complimentary to one of the colors in the shorts. And what happens to be right across red in the color wheel? Green! Once again, color wheel to the rescue =).

What I Am Wearing:

Shirt - Gift

Belt - Charlotte Russe

Shorts - Tommy Hilfiger

Shoes - TJ Maxx

 

Mommy Outfit

For me, the ultimate mommy outfit must include five key factors, it has to be:

• Comfortable
• Stylish
• Modest
• Figure Flattering
• Practical

This outfit encompasses each one of these characteristics from head to toe. Instead of wearing the chambray top by itself, I chose to use it as a layering piece over a simple white cami. This makes it easy to transition from in and out of A/C in this hot Florida weather. The shorts are trendy, at a decent length, and the pockets on the back do wonders for my derrière ;-p. The shoes are super comfy without sacrificing a classier look, like a pair of flip flops would.

Note: My daughter is 14 months old and my fashion needs have changed right along with her age and development. Just a few months ago I was wearing much more nursing friendly ensembles, which I will be doing a future post on for all the nursing mommas out there!

What I Am Wearing:

Shirt - Papaya (really old)

Chambray Top - JCPenney

Shorts - Target

Shoes - Forever21

Necklace - Forever21

Casually Mixing Prints

For a while now, I've been hearing that leopard print is the new black... I must say I completely agree! Surprisingly, it goes with nearly everything and makes this new print mixing trend easy as pie!  Combining different prints on an outfit as casual as this one adds interest and definitely kicks up the regular shorts and tee look.

What I Am Wearing:

Shirt - Ross

Shorts - Target

Shoes - Ross

Simple Color Blocking

I put this outfit together using my simple, go-to color blocking formula: I start out with a monochrome look in a neutral color (i.e. black, white, nude, etc.) and add splashes of color with accessories. I use a maximum of three colors to keep the outfit from looking messy.

The best way of matching colors is by using a handy dandy color wheel! My "rules" for this are as follows:  if I want two colors I pick complementary colors, these colors are opposites of each other and are located directly across the other on the color wheel. For a more adventitious look, you can also pick two colors that are right next to each other. If I want three colors, I go for any three colors that make a triangle. As you can see, this is what I went for here; the position of the primary colors (yellow, blue and red) make a triangular shape. The same goes with orange, green and purple, and so on. 

TIP: Print this color wheel and hang it on your closet door or somewhere easily accessible, it will give you so much inspiration for new outfits with your current wardrobe!!!

Have you ever used the color wheel for styling clothes? What do you think about color blocking, is more than 3 colors okay?

What I Am Wearing:

Dress - Ross

Belt - Came w/ different dress from Forever21

Purse - Guess

Shoes - Kenneth Cole



Summer 2013 Trend: Printed Shorts

Comfy + chic = winning combo! The bright and nude pieces make for a dynamic pairing that's both fun and not too overly done. It's a functional outfit that can easily take you from running errands to brunch with the girls. As a mommy of a toddler that I'm constantly chasing down, I'm always on the look out for outfits like these!

What I Am Wearing:

Blazer  - Gift

Tank - TJ Maxx

Shorts - Ross

Flats - Michael Kors



Somewhere In Between....

I LOVE this shirt! The leather and cotton mix give it an edgy yet soft look that's easy to dress up or down. You can wear it with slacks for a classy look, a skirt for a dressy look, jeans and flats for a casual look, or like I did here: with shorts and heels for a "somewhere in between" look. Any item that allows for a variety of outfits and is as versatile as this piece is like money in your closet!

What I Am Wearing:

Shirt - JCPenney

Shorts - American Eagle

Shoes - TJ Maxx

Hair Feather Pin - Forever21

Bracelet - Gift

Summer 2013 Fashion Trend: Floral Leggings/Pants

It is very common for floral prints to be seen during the Spring/Summer months of the year and 2013 is no different, floral prints are everywhere! This year's floral trend is unique in that the flowers tend to be bigger. I chose to pair the leggings with a solid colored, loose fitting top to balance out the busy print and curve hugging fabric of the bottoms. What do you think?

What I Am Wearing:

 Target Oversized Tee

Ross Floral Leggings

Traffic Heels 

Forever21 Earings

NY&Co. Bracelet