"You Can Just Shorten It And Wear It Again!"

In honor of the summer season [and the inevitably coinciding wedding season], I wanted to highlight a few dresses I've purchased to be in wedding parties.
I am totally that girl...the one who insists on finding more occasions for a bridesmaid dress than just the wedding itself. The one who shortened one, took away pieces of another, and added pieces to yet another to make her wardrobe stretch.
If you have to spend money on a specific dress, you ought to learn how to make it work for you, and for more than one day. [Although, I've never turned down an invitation to purchase a formal dress!]

Above are a few from my growing collection of bridesmaids dresses.
The black two-piece with cranberry-colored sash is the most formal; that fact does not pose any issue, though. I've worn the top with different skirts (knee length), bold jewelry, and various jackets/cardigans to reintroduce the piece into less formal, but still elegant, occasions.
The blue dress was originally full length, so I had my trusted seamstress change it to knee-length and have worn it multiple times since!
The yellow is pictured in its original form, something I have no need to alter: I've paired it with bright contrasting cardigans & heels and worn it a handful of times.
Don't let a lovely dress sit in its plastic sleeve in the back of your closet! Find (or create) an occasion to wear it again and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing the CPW (Cost-Per-Wear) is getting smaller as your creativity grows! 

Mix It Up Monday: Black Snakeskin Top

This top has so many qualities that make it versatile: when viewed up close, you can detect a very subtle silver shimmer, but it is not enough to appear flashy. In addition, the small-scale animal print gives some edge without being over the top, the draped v-neck is universally flattering, and the loose fit means it flatters every body! Highlight any one of these features depending on how dressy or casual you'd like to appear!

With orchid cardigan and
black wool skirt;
I wear this with black tights and
grey boots.

With white fitted blazer &
dark wash boot cut jeans;
cuff [gift from Kennedy] proves to be
the perfect accessory

Cuff detail; black leather band and rhinestones with roses--
I love a piece with substance & glamour!

Finish with red heels for a little drama

White Bermuda shorts;
jewelry to fill out neckline
and add color

Basic black pants dress up the top;
kiwi cardigan keeps it fun!

Mix It Up Monday: Magenta Dress

A bright solid dress with minimal (but classic) detail has a lot of staying power in a wardrobe. This one features a v-neck, rouched waist, and shirred shoulders. 

With white cropped cardigan and
bright floral pendant necklace

Keep it casual with a jean jacket
& chunky necklace from the opposite
side of the color wheel

Turquoise argyle cardigan

Create the illusion of separates with a
button-down collared shirt in coordinating
shades

Berry tone in the dress pulls in common ground
and blues & greens lend a bit of contrast

Mix It Up Monday: Sage Patterned Top

This Vera Wang top features an abstract print on sage, middle pleat, and unstructured/unsurged hem. It is lightweight, and therefore perfect for a stand-alone summer top, or layering piece for cooler weather. 

With navy shorts for warm weather.

Tucked into khaki A-line skirt; orchid cardigan
over top to bring out the colors in the top;
champagne & grey pearl necklace to top it off.

With dark wash straight leg jeans [to balance
the flow of the top] & structured jacket.

With brown pinstriped trousers &
sky blue cardigan for a light, contrasted look.

Mix It Up Monday: Sheer White Top

A guest piece of clothing for this week: Aubrey's top! It features banded sleeves, collar, and bottom hem with a slight ruffle on the edges. Because it's sheer, it can morph into any color scheme with a simple cami underneath. The material is lightweight & ethereal in movement, making it easy to wear with layers--even in summer heat. Here are a few ideas for mixing it up:

Top: Forever 21

Tucked into khaki A-line skirt
coral cami underneath
beaded coral themed necklace reinforces undertone from cami
jean jacket--classic

Shift neckline to an almost off-the-shoulder look
turquoise cami
turquoise beaded necklace
boot cut dark wash jeans

Patterned cami underneath to give
some more dimension to the look
navy shorts

White & pink micro-pinstripes in capris
hot pink cami
pink pendant necklace

Ruffled edge just barely visible at the bottom--keeping
a girly charm to the argyle sweater vest & denim skirt;
a cute spring-time look!

Spring Sprang Sprung

I truly enjoy grammar: in English, there are three basic tenses: past, present, and future. Each one has a perfect form (completed action), progressive form (ongoing action), and perfect progressive form (ongoing action that will be completed at some definite time).
When I think about the seasons changing, and now spring being upon us, it seems that the shift in weather/plant growth/warmth could also be said to have these "grammatical" forms. Plants cycle through it, warmth and coolness ebb & flow in weather patterns, and clothing inevitably follows suit to keep up with the change. 
I always thought of spring as an "in-between;" that is, not an extreme (summer or winter), but a transitional period to get me to summer. Because of that perspective, I tend to overlook the beauty of the season in my haste for sandals, sundresses, and long sunny days.
In an effort to acknowledge this lovely time of year, here is an outfit created of pieces pulled from all four seasons:

• Summer: cerulean t-shirt dress
• Fall: white jean jacket
• Winter: grey tights
• Spring: lightweight zebra scarf

Mix It Up Monday: Floral Dress

This is a dress I've worn for Easter, attending a graduation, for a job interview, to a tea party, and more! Its sheath design, cap sleeves, lightly pleated bodice, knee length, and slim pockets give it the ability to fluctuate from party dress to work dress.  

With a pink bow-front skinny belt
and pink pearl necklace:
still letting the dress do the talking,
but playing up a color tone found within.

With white fitted blazer and pendant necklace:
a polished look suitable for work.

Persimmon cardigan, bronze skinny belt, layered pearl necklace:
highlighting color and adding the hint of metallic luster.

A tone-on-tone cropped cardigan and coral flat pearl necklace:
Letting the colorful pattern of the dress speak loudest with subtle
additions to the look.

White bell-sleeved collared shirt:
for a chillier spring day; the cuff details
compliment the slight ruffle in the top of the dress sleeves.

Cream colored vest:
additional structure without bulk.

White jean jacket:
wouldn't this be cute for a casual date--
out for ice cream and a walk in the park, maybe?

Orchid cardigan:
there is just a hint of this tone in the outer petals
on the flowers in the dress--make it more noticable
with a coordinating cardi.

Shatter

To Try This Weekend:

• Paint your nails in a solid color.
• Let dry completely.
• Choose a shade of shatter/crackle nail polish [called different things depending on the brand; OPI makes Shatter, Sally Hansen makes crackle, etc], paint one coat over your nails.
• Watch and be amazed as it dries and separates before your eyes! 
• Paint over with clear coat to set & help prevent chipping.

The finished product looks intricate without being high maintenance. Winning combination!

Here I used OPI Marooned on the Magnificent Mile
with OPI Silver Shatter on top.
And I should have waited for the picture until I cleaned up the edges
of my nails, but oh well! Call me over-eager. 

Roaring '20s

What is is about playing dress-up that's so timelessly appealing? I love getting into character, especially as it pertains to costuming! This week I had the opportunity to do so and participate in a "How to Host a Murder" mystery dinner: The Chicago Caper. It was a wonderfully kooky cast of characters!

Molly M. Awbsterr & S. Treighton Harrow
The only thing purchased for these costumes was the dress--at $6.99!

Anna Maria Carlotta Sassine ("Torchy"), S. Treighton Harrow, Molly M. Awbsterr, Billy "The Kid" Thrower, "Silky" M. Adam, Ernie "Bet a Million" G. Ambler, Malissa F. Orrthot ("Scoop"), Eddie "Socks" R. Gyle

Shopping Day

On Monday, my husband's day off, we decided to enjoy spending gift cards from Christmas. We were in book stores, in shoes stores, in clothing stores, and made trips to the food court for samples of mango chicken to stave off hunger while saving money. 

In line at DSW...where I bought wonderful summer wedge slingbacks entirely
on a gift card with enough left over for buying another new pair later!

How cool is this? Urban uses the California sun to cast a shadow of the
storefront letters. 

People jokingly refer to "retail therapy"...I find it's at its best for me when it involves as little as possible of my own money! I got a top on clearance at Banana Republic with a gift card, aforementioned shoes on sale, as well as a gumball from the machine because it's a guilty pleasure. 

Mix It Up Monday: Navy Wrap Dress

"Navy Dress" had been on my shopping list for over 2 years; then this past Christmas my parents gifted this lovely item to me! Navy is great in the winter because it's not so stark against less-than-sun-kissed skin as black tends to be, yet it has all the staying power as the LBD. In terms of elegance, class, and timeless appeal, navy stands tall. 

A mock-wrap design for highlighting the waist
V-neck to elongate the body
Knee length to transition from day-time appropriate to semi-formal evening possibility 

Bold colored cardigan and chunky jewelry liven up the dress
Persimmon on left; Violet on right

Any color contained in the necklace would be a great
complimentary cardigan shade.

Navy and grey marry together for lovely simplicity.
Handbag contains each color, as well as a deep purple, cream, and burnt gold
to provide visual contrast in the outfit [pattern & color].

Embellished sage cardigan requires no necklace,
but earrings with substance are a nice option:

Pearl & crystal beaded baubles

Bejeweled disks with hint of vintage flair

Orchid cardigan & layered beaded necklace:
This jewelry is not as visually heavy as the first necklace
featured, yet contains all the same color tones. It also
fills in the V-neck line nicely.

This lace bolero [borrowed from Aubrey!] begs
for a dark backdrop to highlight its intricate detail.
The high neckline gives it stately elegance and the
length blends perfectly into the wrap waist of the dress
so it does not confuse the proportions of the look.