Chambray 5 ways

Oh the chambray shirt.  How I love its many versatile stying ways. So much so, that after a little prodding from my friend Casey, I decided there should be a blog post dedicated to it.

And actually, I should really take this time to thank my friend Emily for giving me this thrifted find. Technically she spotted the shirt first, bought it and then we went to another store and she found an oxford shirt that she liked instead, so I was able to purchase this one from her. It was one of the most glorious $5.00 spends I think I've ever had.

So yeah, back to the versatility of a chambray shirt. You can dress it up or down and wear it from summer to winter. As usual, it's all just a matter of layering, my friends. And yes, I'd even wear this in our hot southern summers...as a bathing suit cover up, of course.

Honestly, this post barely scratches the photographic evidence of how often I wear this shirt. I'll go ahead and say you'll prob see another follow up post to this one later down the road!

Oh and if you want to see the full blog posts for 4 of the 5 outfits above, you can see those here, here, here & here.

Now, what are you waiting for? Go buy a chambray shirt if you haven't already! If you need a few affordable options here's one from Old Navy ($22.50), Target ($22.99) and Forever 21 ($19.80).

Product Pick: Opalescence Whitening Gel

I've had this whitening gel in my bathroom drawers for probably a year now. I'm on my last tube that comes in the container and honestly I was pleased from the start with the results that I obtained from using it. I felt like I noticed it whitening my teeth, but not too crazy white. (there's a fine line, you know).

So when my friend Peach was like "Your teeth look amazing and white, what did you do?!" when I whitened them for Ashley's wedding and then said "Where's the blog post for that?!" in response to my answer, I decided she was right. Clearly this was a product that had earned its place on my blog.

It does its job, doesn't taste terrible, doesn't burn your gums and is also extremely affordable—assuming that you have already had impressions take of your mouth and own teeth whitening trays (which I have also had for quite sometime).

So if you're looking for a teeth whitener that does the trick, I would definitely suggest hopping on amazon.com and putting Opalescence in your shopping cart!

A day at the museum

So I took a certain special someone to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta last Saturday as a way to celebrate his birthday. They were hosting a temporary exhibit with the works of Frida Khalo and Diego Rivera and it just sounded like a good way to spend the day. Turns out, I was right (as usual). We had a blast.

However, as fate would have it, my phone completely died, so there was no way for me to get any pics. Instead I figured why not at least document what I wore instead? Yeah, you're welcome! :)

So here are a few pics of the outfit that I put together for a day wandering around a museum. It seemed flats were essential, as was a crossbody purse that wouldn't be too heavy to carry around. Plus, I wanted something girly and
flirty—this adorable floral print skirt from Target coupled with a ruffled tank top definitely did the trick. And then of course, it was actually a bit chilly that day, so a sweater was necessary as well.

Here's the cheapskate outfit breakdown:

1. Navy sweater, thrifted ($4.99)
2. Lavender ruffle top, Walmart ($8.99)
3. Floral skirt, Target ($22.99)
4. Oxford shoes, Necessary Clothing ($9.99)
5. Crossbody bag, gifted (thanks Amy!)
6. Circle necklace, Brooklyn Flea ($20.00)
7. Wayfarers, Urban Outfitters ($10.00)
8. Leaf ring, gifted (thanks Em!)
9. Circle ring, Brooklyn Flea ($5.00)

Total: Under $100.00

 

Photos: Leslie Evans

Shopping for a good cause: Stella & Dot jewelry

Some of you may already know this, but April is Autism Awareness month. What you definitely don't know, is that I serve on a junior board for a local non-profit organization called Triumph Services.

Triumph is a fantastic organization that helps individuals with developmental disabilities to live independently. This means helping them find and keep jobs, balance their checkbooks, find a place to live, establish and maximize friendships and relationships, and the list goes on and on. A large percentage of these individuals that Triumph serves include those with Autism.

During the month of April, Triumph has been involved with several events to increase awareness about Autism, but my favorite thing the junior board was a part of was a Stella & Dot trunk show hosted by our junior board president, Amelia, this past Sunday.

Stella & Dot not only has some super cute pieces of jewelry, but they also pick five items during the month of April and donate 20% of sales on those items to the HollyRod Foundation, which is an organization that offers help and hope to those with Autism and Parkinson's Disease.

Amelia was lucky enough to have a sweet friend, Maggie, who is a stylist for Stella & Dot and she offered to give 10% of all sales (part of her commission!) from the trunk sale directly to Triumph.

So while I realize that yes, April is technically almost over, there are still a few days left to participate in this trunk show online. You can click here to shop and pick either from the five items directly associated with HollyRod or pick anything and 10% of that sale will go to Triumph.

I've already picked a few of my favorite items above, but I am sure you will find many more pieces that you will love. Just be sure to shop in Maggie's trunk sale by the end of the month. I mean, you know you still need a Mother's Day gift, so really this is perfect timing. And it's a gift that truly will keep on giving.

Splurge on: Lace pieces

For the last few months, it seems that lace has been everywhere. And while I've always thought it a very pretty adornment, I've never realized how versatile lace really is until now. It can be used to create a structured piece, or it can give a girly romantic vibe, or it can even be the perfect boho touch you need for your upcoming music festival wardrobe. Clearly I am like everyone else and falling in love with lace.

Here are just a few pieces that I've got my eye on:

1. Lulu’s Fine Dining Cream Lace Dress, $42.00
2. Prabal Gurung for Target Lace Hard Sided Clutch, $34.99
3. ThreeBirdNest Sheer Simplicity Lace Headband in Plum, $12.99
4. Lulu’s Crochet or the Highway Ivory Crocheted Top, $60.00
5. Forever 21 Lace Paneled Skirt in Black, $15.80
6. Necessary Clothing Cupcake Shorts in Peach, $27.99

Shades of blue

Today's blog post title might seem a little misleading, considering in that my pants look a little more seafoamy green in these pics than the turquoise shade I think they are in real life. But whenever I wear this outfit (which is often) I always think I have this cool semi-monochromatic shades of blue thing going. It's funny how different things can look when you go back to them. Kind of like life, huh?

Also, how funny is it that when Leslie and I picked this spot for the shoot, we both thought it was just leaves on the ground. But then when I was choosing a shoe shot, I realized, nope those are all cigarette butts. Hot, right? Apparently this is where the entire city of Birmingham comes for a smoke break.

Oh and you'll notice in my last photo I decided to try something new and do a fun jump photo like I've seen some other bloggers do. First I'd like to give major props to Leslie who caught me mid air at least 2x with an iPhone. And I'd also like to note that I did not fall or hurt myself in the process even though I am wearing some major wedge-heeled booties. However, I did hurt my abs laughing so hard with Leslie at how ridiculous I am sure that I looked to any passerbys. Good times.

Here's the cheapskate outfit breakdown:

1. Vintage chambray button down, thrifted ($4.99)
2. Turquoise jeggings, Necessary Clothing ($19.99)
3. Scarf, c/o David & Young
4. Bag, Designer Details in L.A. ($40.00)
5. Blue shoes, Necessary Clothing ($19.99)
6. Triangle earrings, gifted (thanks Joy!)
7. Leaf ring, gifted (thanks Em!)
8. Square ring, Brooklyn Flea ($5.00)

Total: Under $100.00

 

 

 

Photos: Leslie Evans

Life lately

If you've been hanging around my blog lately, then you already know that life lately has had a lot to do with my best friend Ashley's wedding. Considering today's photos are all wedding pics, this blog post clearly reinforces that.

But honestly, nothing else too exciting has been going on lately. Just working some track meets, getting in lots of workout time and maybe throw in a date or two here and there. Yeah, I said. There have actually been some dates. Who knows, maybe you guys will get to meet him one day....we'll see!

Also, I think I would be terribly amiss to not saying anything about the tragedy at the Boston marathon yesterday. As a runner myself, this attack definitely hits close to home. I have ran several races, including one marathon (though def not Boston, I am so not that fast) and the thought of someone bombing the finish line and hurting innocent participants and their loved ones who were cheering them on pretty much breaks my heart.

I know there have been several other recent tragic events that have had more casualties than this one did, but like I said, I guess I can just identify with this incident more. My hope is that the city of Boston and our country will come out of this stronger and more united than before. Something tells me we will.

Music Monday: Current Obsessions

Artist: Big Tree

Album: This New Year (listen to a sample here.
Full album is on Spotify)

Why I love it: Their songs have this great ethereal sound to them. It makes me feel like I could be floating through space. I know, I'm weird. 

Favorite song(s): This Fall and Home (here)

For fans of: Lucius, Miracles of Modern Science

Artist: Alt-J
Album: An Awesome Wave
Why I love it: It has a neat world-music-meets-alternative vibe to it.
Favorite song(s): Breezeblocks and Taro
For fans of: Yeasayer, Grizzly Bear

Artist: James Hunter Six

Album: Minute by Minute

Why I love it: This album transplants me to a completely different decade. I feel like I am
in an underground basement club dancing the night away in the 60s. 

Favorite song(s): Minute by Minute

For fans of: St. Paul and the Broken Bones,
Charles Bradley

Artist: Wild Belle

Album: Isles

Why I love it: The whole album has this groovy, funky vibe. It just makes me want to sit back and bob my head. 

Favorite song(s): Another Girl

For fans of: Lily Allen, Adele

Artist: Olafur Arnalds

Album: Living Room Songs (listen on Spotify)

Why I love it: I've never been to Paris, but I imagine this is exactly what it would sound like in my head as I walk around the city. Maybe I've seen one too many movies though. Regardless, this album is so beautiful it gives me chills. 

Favorite song(s): Near Light  Every single song on this album is amazing

For fans of: Explosions in the Sky, Helios

Vote for me? Please?!

Hi all! I rarely do things like this, but my friend Casey sent me a link to the StyleMint contest "Style For Your City" and I just couldn't resist. Partly because who wouldn't love to win a few credits to Style Mint? And also partly because I love my city of Birmingham and the idea of featuring an outfit that represents my hood sounded super fun.

I really wanted to put together a special outfit and do a fun shoot at The Bottletree or something, but time was not on my side. So I opted for my go to concert attire photo/outfit instead. It seems to say "Birmingham" to me anyhow.

So even though you've already seen this look once before, I would love for you to see it again here on the contest page and vote for me through Facebook. If this link takes you to the StyleMint FB page, just be sure to "like" them and then click on "contest" (the green box under their cover photo) then just click around on either "most recent" or "most popular" and see if you can find me, then vote!

It's really that easy and I would be thrilled to get a few more votes, and heck, maybe even win something!

Thanks!!!

Under the {fashion} influence: Busy Phillips

A kind of crazy thing happened on a recent trip to a local consignment store here in Birmingham. My mom and I saw this really neat triangle necklace on a mannequin as we walked in. She pointed it out to me, knowing that I've had a thing for triangle jewelry lately. I nodded that I had seen in, kept it in mind, but kept shopping in case I found something else I wanted instead. An hour or so later I'd ended up with only a pair of boots in hand, so I went back for the necklace.

I took the treasure home and placed it on my jewelry tree. Two days or so later I looked at it as I passed in my room and stopped dead in my tracks as I realized, doh! That is the exact same necklace I had seen on Busy Phillips and I had even chosen that photo for a "what to wear" post. Clearly I had to recreate that outfit.

While I don't have a fun printed skirt like hers, I did at least have a short pleated one, so I figured that was similar enough. It's not the exact same outfit, but I think it works. The amazing necklace find definitely helps!

Here's the cheapskate outfit breakdown:
1. Vintage Susan Bristol top, gifted/passed down (thanks mom!)
2.  Pleated skirt, GAP outlet ($19.99)
3. Socks, Charlotte Russe ($2.99)
4. Suede booties, Target ($24.99)
5. Vintage Aigner clutch, gifted/passed down (thanks mom!)
6. Triangle necklace, The Clotheshorse ($10.50)
7. Sunglasses, gifted (thanks Joy!)
8. Earrings, Charlotte Russe ($3.50)
9. Leaf ring, gifted (thanks Em!)
10. Square ring, Brooklyn Flea ($5.00)

Total: Under $75.00

Photos: Leslie Evans

What's in my piggy bank for April?

1. Shabby Apple Fete Des Fleurs Blossom Skirt, $78.00. Love this ballerina inspired tutu skirt! So SJP.
2. Forever 21 Kentucky Bluegrass Boxy Tee, $14.80. I think this would look amazing paired with the ballerina skirt. Just funky and fun.
3. dELiA*s All Over Long Sleeve Lace Dress, $44.50. I adore anything lace right now. I like how this one has a more boho vibe to it than other lace dresses I've seen. (I'd remove the belt though.)
4. Christian Siriano for Payless Julie Mary Jane in Mint, $29.99. Pointy shoes are back and I love this mint green strappy option.
5. ModCloth On the Open Rose Shorts, $42.99. Yes, I'm still obsessed with florals. I need these shorts for spring for sure.
6. Charlotte Russe Mini Chain Strap Evening Bag, $12.99. A lovely lady-like purse that I am picturing perfectly with a flirty dress.
7. Fresh Trends Sapphire Double Sweetheart ($31.64) and Pink Hearts Enamel Square Band ($34.30) Stackable Rings. I've been on a pink and navy kick ever since Ashley's wedding. And I love stackable rings. These heart ones just look so sweet together.
 8. Mossimo Paka Perforated Ankle Boot, $34.99. Confession. I already own these. But they are going to be so amazingly versatile that I wanted to include them in my piggy bank picks anyhow!
9. Necessary Clothing Spiked Bangle in Gold, $12.99. I love this bangle. It's just a little bit edgy, but still dainty and girly.
10. Urban Outfitters Arched Metal Mix Sunglasses, $16.00. How I still don't have any hip high fashion black shades is beyond me. These need to be purchased...pronto!