orla kiely

If you've visited this blog or my website anytime lately you know of my love for prints, patterns, and color. Funnily enough, however, my wardrobe is almost void of all three of those things at the moment. I used to dress in bright colors, layering all sorts of crazy patterns; but I've found that my style has gotten significantly more simple over the last few years (ie: boring). That's why I love these Orla Kiely pieces. There is just enough color with a balance of neutrals and some fun patterns over simple silhouettes. Just what I need to spice up my otherwise ho-hum attire. And how great do those Fall pieces above transition into the Spring/Summer looks below? 

bundled up

It's kind of funny that my Friday post was talking about my desire to move with a quick pace and steady productivity as we enter 2014; because right now all I really want to do is cuddle up on the couch with a cup of tea and a good book. Maybe it's the 18 degree temperatures we've been experiencing, or the end of a long winter break, but I am in serious nesting mode. I've found myself wanting to be surrounded by warm woods and metals, rich textures, and neutral colors. Here are a few of the things I am craving for a cozy home and wardrobe. Stay warm friends!

Sweater (similar), rolling pins, mug, bracelet, beanie, boots, rug, scissors, plant ring. 

pretty pairings- double time

As I was pulling images for this peach & mint inspired pretty pairings post, I realized I had way too many pretties in this color scheme to just choose two.  So here are four lovely items in some fresh pastels.  Enjoy!

design, dress, planner, necklace

pretty pairings: peach and pastel

Now that Spring is officially here I am ready to dress in sweet pastels and neutrals all season long.  Gone are the days of layers of grey and black and back are sheer blouses and a softer palette.  I am a happy girl.  How great is the combination of this perfectly accessorized outfit and this paper garland in some of my favorite colors for the season?

outfit: eatsleepwear, garland: source unknown-sorry!

Welcoming spring!

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring (yaaaaaaay!), which is in a tie with Fall for my favorite season.  I think Spring wins out due to the anticipation of gardens, deck dinners, and cut-offs.  Hop on over to Collect&Carry to see all of the spring brights I pulled together just in time for the colorful season!

built by wendy

The Built by Wendy site is so fun to view. The clothes move as you scroll through the page and I had a bit too much fun creating brady bunch-esque designs with the model. Plus, I would pretty much wear anything they've got. Fashion is fun.

wednesday wish list: print and pattern

It's November and that means it is time for my yearly Wednesday Wishlists to start again! (You know, in case anyone is out doing some Christmas shopping). This year's first edition is inspired by all of the lovely prints and patterns out there right now. Enjoy!clockwise from top left:
get dotty Madewell sweater, nell&mary geometric dot pillow cover, J.Crew heart intarsia sweater, Lulu striped leggings, pattern rugs.

ladies of halloween

Here's hoping your holiday is as stylish and awesome as these haunting ladies.

boot call

It seems like this is the time of year that my boot lust sets in big time. This year my the cravings have taken on many forms, from colorful details and sweater trim, to plaid and straps, to color blocking and heels. I have found so many different styles and options this season, and this is just the tip of the iceberg folks.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

autumn at zara

I know I've been posting a lot about fall fashion lately but I can't stop being inspired by the cozy knits and thoughts of layering up. I have always found, however, that it is much harder for me to feel cute, fashionable, etc in the colder months because all I want to do is throw on an oversized mens sweater and my moccasins. Its not as easy and effortless to feel put together like in the spring and summer when all you have to do is put on a colorful skirt and paint your nails. But these outfits from Zara have done cool weather dressing right- all the way down to the elbow patches.Do you have any cool weather dressing tips you'd like to share? I'd love to hear your ideas.

pinning fall

Friday was the official start to autumn and while the temperatures are still close to 80 here in NC, I have found myself drawn to tons of fall outfit inspiration over on pinterest. I am excited for light-weight scarves, ankle boots, and obviously lots of mustard, camel, navy, and some hints of teal. Follow me and find all of these links on pinterest here.In other news, I may be scarce around here this week as we try to get the kitchen (close) to finished and get ready to have a booth at a local market/fest this weekend. This chaos is what I thrive on, right?

ba-na-nas

Rachel Zoe makes me laugh. Her show is not highly intelligent or thought provoking but she does wear some amazing outfits and have some pretty great Zoe-isms. While her new collection didn't blow me away, there are a few items in her Spring 2012 rtw line that I kind of die for. Sorry, I had to.

something to look forward to

A long day of classroom scrubbing and only a one hour break before I am back at school for open house night. The return of the school year may be a bit of a bummer (I promise to stop bitching about it soon) but at least I have the autumn weather and wardrobes to look forward to. Loving all of these ensembles from the Madewell Fall Lookbook. The rest of the collection is just as exciting and I think the best part is that most of these outfits could be easily put together on a thrift store budget. Very nice.

autumn hues

It seems like peach, coral, aqua, mustard, tan, and grey were my go to colors throughout this past spring and summer. See here, here, and here. So I was pleasantly surprised to see this palette elevated and fittingly adjusted for the fall months over on the always amazing Coco+Kelley yesterday.Though the outfit may be a bit out of my comfort zone, the color combination is glorious. My spring shades have been deepened to emerald green, deeper brown, and a punch of black. Amazing. I found a lovely black, wispy, maxi skirt at the thrift store this week and I can see these color accents pulling a fall outfit together.

I know I shouldn't be speaking of fall too soon, and I swear I'm not wishing summer away, but this was just too good not too share.

throwback

My current obsessions for the summer include playing words with friends (highly addictive), dipping anything I can find in homemade tzatziki sauce, and shoes. I have looked at/bought too many pairs of shoes this summer and have more on the radar. Right now I am crushing on these throwback keds- aren't they adorable and perfect for a late summer bike ride?

And I am not sure if these are men or womens but I would certainly rock them. Nice job keds!Also crushing on these and these.

fun in the sun

necklace. outfit. bags.

having fun over on pinterest. follow me!

i love lucy

I am so inspired by this girls style. So perfectly accessorized and effortless at the same time. And what I love about looking through her blog is that there are really only a handful (or small NY closet full) of pieces she is rotating between, not a million gifted designer pieces like some fashion bloggers whose style may be great but is undeniably out of reach. Well done, Lucy, well done.

bowtie skirt

Ok before we head out for the weekend I just had to share this adorable diy bowtie skirt by the lovely Sarah of Welcome to the Good life. She has the cutest family, clothes, and tutorials. Such an easy project with a really sophisticated end result. And I love the idea of it paired with huge turquoise necklace by oliphant. So, so pretty!

something sparkly

Want, want, want this ban.do mini heart clip. It doubles as a brooch and hair clip so I totally think it's worth the $10 price tag.

**update: done and done.

wedding week part IV: more fashion

Ok so I got a little behind and now wedding week has turned into wedding weeks. Today I am sharing the rest of the wedding day fashion, the groom and bridal party.
The mister knew he wanted to be in something simple, no tuxedo and no suit jacket. So he opted for an all grey ensemble with a pop of color in his tie. His pants and shirt were Kenneth Cole, his vest I found at Macy's on sale, his tie we ordered from MeandMatilda on etsy, and his watch was his grandfathers. I think his favorite part of his outfit may have been the classic wing tip shoes we got from Aldo. I thought he looked perfect and he was comfortable, which made him happy.
We asked all of the guys to wear grey pants and a white shirt and them had them accessorize however they wanted. I was impressed.

My girls are all so stylish on their own that I knew I would never ask them to wear matching dresses, that never even crossed my mind. Instead I asked them to all choose a grey knee length dress that they felt great in. Any style, any shade. They then each chose a pair of the LelaRose shoes and a color to have them dyed. They each wanted a different color so it worked out perfectly. My mom and I made the necklaces and bracelets for them, based on one we found at Anthropologie but for a fraction of the price. They were absolutely gorgeous- and I was happy knowing they were all comfortable in what they were wearing.
It was important to us to have these dear friends and family members standing with us on this special day and I think they looked pretty darn good doing it.