Hello and Happy December! 

I am really into the holiday spirit this year -if you cannot already tell! 

I saw this tree while I was out running errands one day and knew right away, I would have to do a shoot with it! It was just as awkward as you might expect. I had to work around people and try not to be too in the way! But I will say that I am really proud of how far I have come when it comes to going places to take pictures. This time a year ago I would not have even considered it! 

Actually, this time a year ago I was a completely different person to be honest. I was really struggling this time last year. I was anxious a lot, self-conscious, a bit burned out, and honestly just kind of in a dark place/negative mind set. I made a lot of changes in my life, and I find myself in a much better place now! 

I feel like I have so much more courage now to step outside of my comfort zone and really challenge me -like going places to take pictures! It was nerve wrecking at first! But now I get excited thinking of where I could go to shoot at next! 

As for this look! I am almost certain that I have styled a variation of this look many times before. But it is such a solid, wintery look! It checks off all of the essential boxes: stylish, warm but not TOO warm, easy to wear/comfortable, simple to style. 

The coat is really where it is at! 

I feel like the coat just takes this look to another level. 

I love the minimal use of color-blocking, I love the color choice for the color-blocking. I love really everything about this coat. Here is the issue. It is from Shein. And I know, I know I post about Shein ALOT on here! 

​Honestly, I loved shopping that site! Most everything was good quality and true to size. And even when it was not, returning was always very easy and quick. But I keep hearing more and more about the working conditions of Shein, and how awful they are. And I just cannot find it in me to support them anymore. Or at least until something changes. 

​What a strange way to kick off a holiday month, I have already gotten kind of sentimental and gotten out a soap box! 

I promise to keep the next post a bit more on lighter side, but I do like to try and be honest with everyone. 

I appreciate you guys so much! Thanks for being on this journey with me! I hope you guys all have a wonderful weekend! Get outside and find something fun to do! 

See you on Monday! =) Stay safe! 

Hello my friends! 

Welcome back to another Fashion Inspo post! 

Today we are talking about the wildly beautiful, English model and actress, Cara Delevingne! 

The thing I really love about Cara's style is that I feel like you are seeing her personality come through in whatever she wears. She definitely has a signature look. I have only recently begun to really follow her styles but even before I could flip through magazines and without reading the captions or articles or looking at her face, guess it was her based solely on what she was wearing. 

Her style is all about edge! Edge and menswear inspired pieces! I feel like she is very much a tom boy kind of girl at heart. 

Her off-duty or street style looks are always very sporty and very low key. Comfort seems to be at the forefront of her looks as well, which is much more realistic. Some celebs like to keep up their posh appearances all day long, and if that's what they like great, but Cara's laid-back style seems much more up my ally. It seems to be a constant rotation of jeans, leggings, or sweats paired with a tee (usually a graphic tee) and a moto jacket. All of which are key to a perfectly chic, casual look! 

I love in particular how the edgy vibe carries over to when she glams up. She clearly gravitates towards menswear inspired pieces when she hits the red carpets. I came across numerous looks that could have been borrowed from the boys. The picture below is one of my favorite looks that I came across. The textured, double-breasted blazer paired with simple, yet bold gold choker necklaces is stunning! It is such a badass look! 

Cara's style is so stunning to me. It is in a way simple, but it commands attention. It is both comfortable but glamorous. No matter what she wears, Cara seems to ooze confidence! Of course, being a model and insanely gorgeous certainly helps, but also feeling comfortable in what it is you are wearing is so important!

In all of these pictures, she is able to put her own personal touch into the looks and walk confidently. I'm sure she has a stylist and team that all help in making her look incredible, but if she were uncomfortable in a look, I feel certain you'd be able to tell.

And that is a lesson for all of us. Fashion and styling are about having fun and expressing yourself. Make sure you are comfortable and confident in what you are wearing and make sure you are staying true to who you are! 

Have a great day and happy styling! =)

Hello and Happy Monday my friends! 

It has been so chilly lately! Which, I love actually. I think this is the appropriate time for it to be cold and I love styling for colder weather anyway. It does make it hard sometimes in the mornings though. Especially if I don't already know what I am planning to wear for the day. It is actually pretty crucial for me to have an idea at least planned for the morning otherwise this is how it goes: I stand in my closet for a while just looking around with no real ideas/also zoning out and accomplishing nothing until I get cold enough that I jump back into bed and stare at my closet from there. 

And usually end up falling back asleep! xD 

Anyone else operate like that? 

No?
 
Just me? 

Sounds about right! Lol! 

Today's look you'll notice, features yet another styling of the quilted joggers! 

This is their third appearance on this blog (you can see the other posts here and here) and the most casual styling thus far. I leaned into the warm and cozy aspect of the styling hard for this look and relied on small accessories to spruce the look up. 

I do love the sporty chic feel of this look. The oversized shacket against the quilted joggers and the long-sleeved tee proves to be stylish and useful as the layers definitely kept me warm especially in the morning. When I got warm as the day went on I just took the shacket off and was fine. 

It is the smaller details that really come together to pull this look off. 

The soft and simple layered necklaces, several rings, and the mini, deep green, crocodile printed bag. They are so minimal in style but all work together to complete this look! 

On a side note, this is also one of the most comfortable looks that I've styled! I will probably be wearing it a lot in the coming weeks to help hide the delicious dinners from Thanksgiving and the coming holiday dinners and treats! Good lord! I will have my work cut out for me come January! xD 

Have a great Monday and a great week! See you soon! 

Joggers: Target
Bag: Shein
Necklaces: Target

Hello and Happy Black Friday! 

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

I was off for a change this year! Which meant I got to spend the day with my family. We enjoyed a lot of laughs, fun conversations, reminiscing on old memories, and of course great food! 

My mom puts together a beautiful table for our dinner. 

This year my sister was torn between eating and being able to catch the Fifa World Cup game. Eating ultimately won, but not before refilling various water glasses to sneak a peek at the score! 

All and all we had a great Thanksgiving! 
​

On to today's look! 

This would have been a great Thanksgiving look. Although now it can be a great holiday look! 

For this look I incorporated three of my favorite styling techniques: mixing prints, statement pieces, and use of textures. 

I guess if we are being technical, I do not exactly mix prints in this look. But I feel like the texture of the coat against the printed skirt is pretty close! There is certainly a contrast there. One that I really enjoy. That was one main reason that I opted for this coat instead of a classic moto jacket, or a structured peacoat. 

Yes, they would both be great options. They would also be safe options. Which there is nothing wrong with. But today I was feeling playful and feeling like going against the normal safe route. 

I think I really achieved that with this pairing. 

And finally, the statement necklace.

​I love a good statement necklace! I have kind of strayed away from them lately, but they will always have a special place in my heart. 

Especially with the holidays coming up, they are a great and effortless way to spruce up any look! 

This particular necklace I have had for years! I believe I got it at Burlington a while back and it has really held up over the years. It really elevates this look in my opinion. 

​

I hope you all have a great day and are able to get in on those Black Friday deals! 

Stay safe and have a great weekend! 



​Coat: Target
Bag: Target

Hello friends and welcome back! 

I missed last Wednesday, but I am back today with an all new Fashion Inspo post! 

Today we are talking about designer Christian Sirianos! He was in Charlotte at South Park Mall last week and my girl, Designer Diva got to go meet him! I was so bummed that I missed it -thanks a lot Covid- but it looked like it was fun! And in that spirit, I decided to go ahead and make him today's Fashion Inspo! 

Born in Maryland, Christian Sirianos studied fashion design at Baltimore School of the Arts. He began sewing clothes at the age of only thirteen. He went on to study abroad at American Intercontinental University in London, England. During his senior year there, Christian began to intern for Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. 

Christian ended up competing and winning the 2007 season of Project Runway and in 2008 launched his first line which debuted at New York Fashion Week on September 13. He was the brilliant designer behind Billy Porter's 2019 tuxedo gown that he wore to the 91st Academy Awards. 

Christian has styled many of Hollywood's finest like Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, and Rihanna just to name a few. He was also inducted as a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. 

Above are just a few looks from his Spring 2023 line that was shown during NYFW this fall. These were a few of my favorite looks! But he has so many fantastic looks it is really hard to choose! It is impressive what Christian has been able to accomplish at the age of only 37! 

I cannot wait to see what the future holds for him and what he comes up with next! 

Thanks for reading and have a happy Thanksgiving! I will see you on Friday! =)

Hello and Happy Monday! 

I am feeling MUCH better, I am happy to share! Truth be told, I really did not have it that bad -THANKFULLY! I was really only down for one full day, and it was a rainy, cold day anyway. I mostly just felt like I had a head cold, and I was still able to get a few pictures in since I take them outside. I brainstormed several different looks which I cannot wait to share with you, and I was able to deep clean my room! 

On to this look! 

I had envisioned this look but with a green, textured coat about the same size as this cheetah printed one. But even as I reached for the green one in the closet, I spied the cheetah print one and just had a feeling about it. I went ahead and tried the green one and did not love it. It looked just so-so. I then tried this beauty, and it breathed life into this look!

Cheetah print usually has that effect for me! That and leopard print are always go-to style ideas if I want to liven up a look. With this look in particular the cheetah print and the stripes create a playful vibe, contrasting against each other. And the small little pop of color with the bag is just the perfect blend of elegant and romantic! 

​

​What are you guys doing for Thanksgiving? Any big holiday plans? I don't really have any except for eating with the family. And I am very excited for that. 

I am grateful for a lot of things this year. For health, for family, for friends. This has been a very strange year for sure. A lot of ups and downs, but I am very happy with where I am. That is something I have been reflecting on a lot these last few months. 

Maybe as we get closer to the new year, I will do a more in-depth reflection post. But for now, I hope you enjoy this post, and I will see you Wednesday! 

Hello everyone! 

Happy Friday! 

I hope you're having a great week! My week took an unexpected turn Tuesday when I came down with Covid (boo!) 

But here we are. I'm doing alright though. It has not been TOO bad. I've mostly felt like I had a full-blown cold: head congestion, a stuffy nose, and cough, and I was feeling pretty tired Mondy and Tuesday. I'm feeling much better today though! I am hoping I am back to normal soon!

Today's look is a dive into a monochromatic color theme. Originally, I had planned to use a pop of color with the heels and/or bag, but then my mom brought home this cute crossbody bag that matched this look so perfectly! 

The small use of color in the bag still serves as a pop of color, while the rest of the bag does not stray too far from the color theme. When I saw the bag, I knew this look was meant to be! It was just too good to pass up! 

I shot some of this Monday morning and evening, hence why the lighting is a bit different in some of the pictures. I love though how in some pictures you're seeing a deep tan colored look and in others it is more of a mustard yellow look! 

This was shot the day before I tested positive, but the symptoms were already setting in. I did not feel 100% which is why it took me two tries to get all the pictures I want/needed for this post. I started in the morning, got a few, decided to take a break/see if I could make do with what I had, edited, then -begrudgingly- made myself go back for a few more. 

And voila! A monochromatic color story blog post was born! With a little gift from my mom thrown in! 

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you have a great weekend ahead! See you Monday! =)


Pants: Target

Hello, welcome back my friends! 

And a hearty welcome back to my old friend -the trench vest! This little lady has been with me since.... 2015? 2016? Roughly. And she has always come through for me. In fact, it has stayed in pretty close to the same condition as it was when I first got it. 

Regrettably, I have not styled it a lot lately. Then I had an idea for this pairing! I was excited to pair it together and low and behold, it went together perfectly! :D

​I feel like it serves several purposes for this look: it ties together the black-on-black pairing, it serves as an extra layer to keep warm (it is surprisingly warm!) and finally, it ties in the layered pearl necklaces! 

This is one of my favorite styling techniques!  I do this quite often with smaller gold necklaces, but those are of course not the statement piece that layering these pearls are. 

This is three separate necklaces. It is just a fun way to spruce up a look. It adds a dash of drama that people will not see coming! 

A quick note on the boots and bag. In my head they were the same shade of red. And actually, in reality they are closer than they look in these pictures. Once I edited them and added in some warmth and saturation, the boots appear to be a much brighter shade of red and the bag looks browner. It's not. Lol. It is a deep plum color, and the boots are more maroon.

I still like the contrast between them! So, win, win! =) 

Hello all and Happy Friday! 

I hope you all are doing well and staying warm! As I'm writing this, I am cozied up in my bed with both of my pups! We are all cuddled up because we all get cold very easily in the winter. 

When I shot today's look, however, it was not quite AS cold. Although there was definitely a chill in the air. At times I was wishing I had styled a peacoat with this look. I have two purple peacoats -one you have seen many a time and one not quite as often- that would have looked really nice with this look. 

Hindsight, am I right?

Truth be told, one reason I opted to NOT style the peacoat with this look is because I wanted the details of this look to really shine through. 

I tried this styling technique that I really enjoyed! I paired a long sleeved, striped tee underneath a light, lilac colored slip dress. It is such a unique way to style a slip dress and a way to keep wearing it even into the wintery months. The light, pastel colors of the shirt and the dress go well together to create a romantic look. 

And the bold pop of green in the bag, really just ties the look together. 

I have grown to really love the color combination of purple and green. This is second time I have paired this green, crocodile printed bag with a purple dress. I cannot put into words exactly what it is I suppose it is just how the deep green of the bag stands out against the lilac dress. 

Additionally, it could be that because of the texture and color of the dress, it appears delicate while the bag is more structured. Add in that it is not very big, it is just the right amount of contrast. 

Thank you so much for reading! Have a great weekend and stay warm! =)

Dress: Target
Shirt: Goodwill
Hat: Target
Heels: Versona (Old)

Hello all! And welcome back to my Fashion Inspo series! 

Today I wanted to talk about designer, Sergio Hudson! You probably already know -and probably have purchased pieces- that he had a capsule collection that hit Target back in early October. 

Sadly, I have yet to lay eyes on those pieces, believe it or not! I have had to live vicariously through my other fashion friends, Instagram reels, and pictures so far! 

But it got me really curious about his story. How he became a designer and what kinds of things inspire him in particular. Just based on the pieces I have seen from the Target collection; it is very apparent that Sergio is loves color! Most of his pieces are bright, bold colors! That of course is right down my ally! I also love colors. That was just one more reason I wanted to learn more about him for this post! 

Born and raised in Ridgeway, South Carolina, Sergio always had a love for fashion. He grew up admiring designers like Versace. He attended Bauder College where he studied fashion and design. And in 2013 he competed and ultimately won a show on Bravo called 'Styled to Rock.' It was Rihanna who declared him the winner by choosing his designs. 

*Makes mental note to go down the YouTube rabbit hole to find out more about this show.* ;)

He then released his own ready-to-wear collection the following year. 

The aesthetic he wants to create with his designs is "immaculate tailoring, with infusions of androgyny paired with an overtly sexy silhouette." 

Sergio has styled several huge names in his career, Michelle Obama being one of them. I distinctly remember her plum-colored pantsuit for the 2021 Presidential Inauguration because it was so breathtakingly stunning! It was one of the first pictures that popped up when I was researching for this post, and I squealed out loud 'oh my gosh! I LOVED that look!' 

Of course, at the time I didn't realize it was Sergio Hudson who designed it. But he did in an incredible job with that look! 

Other very notable names include Kamala Harris, Beyonce (eeeeek!!), Rihanna, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, and Tiffany Haddish. 

You can find his collection at stories like Target (for a limited time), Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman, and Saks Fifth Avenue. 


Thank you so much for reading and have a great day! See you on Friday! =D