Summer-to-Fall: 1 Maxi 2 Ways

I'm divided right now. 

Do I let go of summer and embrace Fall in all it's layered glory, or do I soak up the last of these sunny days? Living in Seattle, it seems silly and wasteful to start donning caps or scarves when it's still in the 70s. No need to rush into that 9 months of clouds we have ahead of us!

Nevertheless, I'm still excited for Fall. I've been finding some amazing sweaters and scarves at garage sales, and I'm kind of excited to wear them. Especially the J.Crew cashmere turtleneck I got for $17 (that's like 92% off the original price)! This mix of guilt and excitement has inspired me to try my hand at transitioning Summer pieces for Fall. It's a good way to get more use out of seasonal items. For instance, this yellow chevron maxi dress from Gap. I found it on clearance for $17 (sorry the dress at the link I posted below isn't as cheap!) and was worried it wouldn't carry over into the next season, but I've found ways to make it work.

1. Casual/Work

 I always want to wear loads of black and grey in the Fall and Winter, but by the time January rolls around I've got fashion-induced depression. I've made it a goal this year to make color a part of my wardrobe year-round. It can seem tricky, but remember that most "Fall" colors are neutrals and go quite well with brights.

 A cropped sweater keeps the skirt looking long and lean. For extra warmth, layer maxi dresses and maxi skirts over leggings. No one will even know you're wearing them!

2. Fancy/Event

 Try some lush layers and textures to add some drama, as well as warmth, to any outfit. Here I'm wearing vintage fur and an oversized cardigan that my husband hates, haha. It's so thick, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to wear it as a coat this winter.

 A great thing about maxi length dresses & skirts is that you don't need to wear heels. That means, whether you're walking around at Fashion's Night Out or dancing the night away, you'll be comfortable.

 Again, neutral colors keeps this texture-loaded look from getting too wild.

 Don't forget to add a bit more glam with some jewelry. Don't overload, though. Do earrings or bracelets, but not both.

GAP chevron maxi dress - H&M blazer - Vintage sweater - Handemade circle scarf - Vintage leather satchel (similar) - Madewell Meshbound Earrings - Thrifted cat eye sunglasses - Thrifted wool cardigan (similar) - Gap clutch - Chloe flats - Vans Classics

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Look of the Day: Birthday Suit

 

Here is an outfit I've created mainly from birthday presents and other new items. I bought myself the blazer at H&M and my sister picked out this gorgeous silk blouse. It's so delicate, I'm sure I will have destroyed by the end of the weekend. Isn't the pattern pretty? It's sort of half floral, half abstract, and I love that the roses are brown.

...Dang, I just realized I forgot to wear the Madewell earrings I bought for myself as a birthday present! Oh well, next time.

 Other new items: The sweet high-waist shorts I found at Value Village for like $1.50 (!) and the clutch was on clearance for $5 at Target. The shorts seem to have shrunk a bit in the wash. Glad I didn't put them in the dryer, because I can barely sit in them, haha. Will have to do the old lunge-and-stretch trick to get them to ease up a bit. They look so much like the American Apparel high-waist jean cuff short, minus the cuff.

H&M Blazer - Vintage silk blouse - Vintage high-waist denim shorts (similar) - Felicee leopard print belt - Target embroidered clutch - Cooperative canvas wedges

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Look of the Day: Stripes & Sun

Holy cow. It got HOT here. It's been in the nineties. Now, that is actually, really hot, and not just wimpy Seattle hot. By the way, I'm posting this in absentia. As you read this, I'm probably out in my mom's garden, taking pictures, or holding a bunny, or something. Wherever I am, I can guarantee you, I'm getting lots of sun!

GAP sunhat (similar) - Vintage sunglasses (similar) - Forever21 striped dress (similar) - Bianci for L.L.Bean belt - Vintage leather purse - Steve Madden wedges

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#28

Happy Birthday to me!

I think I'll spend the day partaking in my favorite pastime, which is sitting and staring at stuff. I'm very good at it.
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Madewell Style Sessions

As many of you may have heard, last night, I had the privledge of co-hosting a styling event with Madewell and Fabsugar. I got to spend the night with lots of stylish young ladies and the awesome staff at the University Village Madewell store (who are all stylish young ladies, as well!). Here are some photos and highlights from the night.

New for Fall: Skinny Skinny Ankle Cords and Skinny Skinny Ankle Jeans

I wore the red Sheer Shapes Tee with a beige tulle skirt from Forever21. You'll have to just take my word, as I have no pictures and managed to destroy the skirt when I got home (zipper sewed to tulle is quite possibly the worst idea ever). At least I didn't wreck the shirt. I love it and am excited to add more red to my wardrobe.

On my wishlist!

This is Caitlin, the marketing specialist for Madewell at U Village. She is lovely and so easy to get a long with. I really enjoyed working with her.

Esther: pattern mixing specialist and Madewell employee

Leather bracelets

We had a live DJ!  (name coming soon, sorz)

I want ALL the Sidewalk Skimmer Flats!

Featherfan necklaces

Artdot shorts and cute boots

My friend Tara stopped by to check out the sale racks and the Highriser jeans (my fave)

my picks from Madewell by fleur-d-elise featuring a long pencil skirt
This is my Madewell wishlist. If I were slightly less poor, I would own it all right now! Instead, I'm probably gonna go back next week and buy the Screencard shades, at least. Not shown: The Artdot Blazer, which is beyond adorable and fits perfectly!

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Look of the Day: Cats & Dogs

 Finally jumping on the peplum bandwagon. It's not that I hated the trend, it's just that I hadn't found the right one yet. This spotted one from H&M is The One. It fits like a glove and cost $16! What more could you want?

And how about this amazing Coach portfolio?? I found it at Crossroads Trading Company in the U District. Technically, I didn't pay a cent for it! I just used my store trade-in credit and half-heartedly planned on giving it to my husband, but I love it too much. Now it's just a point of contention between us, haha

Thrifted GAP denim jacket (similar) - H&M Peplum top (similar) - Forever21 skirt (similar) - Thrifted cat-eye sunglasses - Classic Coach leather portfolio - Cooperative wedges - Forever21 bracelets - Vintage cocktail ring (similar)

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Fall 2012 Color Trends

I hate to say this, but Fall is just around the corner. I'm trying to get myself excited about it, so I've been looking into trends and checking out F/W 2012 lookbooks. I always use color as my starting point, so it goes without saying that I've been referring to Pantone's Fashion Color Report a lot.

I needed a place to collect my "thoughts", so I started a collection on SocialBliss. Here are a few of my favorites:

"French Roast" Pantone 19-1012: Polka Dot pants from J.Crew

Honey Gold and Ultramarine Green at Kate Spade

"Olympian Blue" Pantone 19-4056: Viv Patent Flats from J.Crew

Rose Smoke" Pantone 14-1506: Chloe F/W 2012

"Tangerine Tango" Pantone 17-1463: As seen at VersaceF/W 2012

Note: Tangerine Tango is Pantone's Color of the Year!

Update: Cee brought up a good point in a comment on this post: Are these really Fall colors? They seem too bright. Well, my argument is that, yes, I think these work for Fall. Maybe not all together, and maybe you won't really feel like wearing them till later, but when you get sick of black and brown, these colors will be a nice pick-me-up for your wardrobe. Still having trouble imagining how to wear them? Think mod-meets-cocktail-party, like at Kate Spade in the F/W 2012 collection. 

Personally, I don't like how the colors look all grouped together, and I'm not a huge fan of Pink Flambe or Rhapsody (the pink and purple circles), but I know, once I've had my fill of navy and burgundy, a shift dress in Tangerine Tango will be just the thing! 

For more Fall Color Trend reading:

Color Trends: Fall/Winter 2012

You're Invited!

I'm beyond excited to announce that I am partnering with Madewell and FabSugar for a fun-filled styling event! The Style Sessions are happening all over the country (check the schedule here), and I am the Guest/Blogger of Honor at the Style Session taking place at University Village in Seattle.

Please come!

I'll be there from 6pm to 9pm

For more info and to RSVP, please visit the Madewell Facebook page. Hope to see you there!

Recipe: Watermelon Cooler

Watermelon has got to be the perfect summer fruit. It's like taking your taste buds for a swim. It also has the perfect texture for making blended summer drinks. This recipe is simple and is delicious both with or without the addition of alcohol.

Ingredients:

1 small personal seedless watermelon, chilled

2 small limes, chilled

3 to 4 cups ice

Optional:

4 shots chilled rum or tequila OR 1 bottle of beer, such as Corona

Directions:

1. Slice the watermelon, remove the rind, then cut the melon into chunks. Juice the limes.

2. Place the watermelon in a blender along with the lime juice and any alcohol you want to include. Blend till smooth.

3. Add the ice one cup at a time. Use the highest setting to make sure the ice is crushed as fine as possible.

Note: If your blender is really old, like mine, you may just end up with slightly smaller ice cubes. This is fine, too, the beverage just won't be as slushy.

4. Do a taste test. If it's too tart, you can always add sugar or more booze!

5. Serve immediately.

Street Style: Maddie

My sister Maddie has been on my blog a couple of times; most recently in the post "Wedding Guest". Well, that same weekend, I took some more pictures of her in a lovely outfit she wore to our cousins' baby shower. Silky top, pleated full skirt, and a classic Coach: Perfect simplicity.

This was originally my bag, so you may recognize it from past posts, but it has since found a new home with my mom and sisters.


Forever21 skirt (similar) - Forever21 tank (similar) - Coach City Bag - Peep-Toe heels (similar)

Coach ColorTag

Colors are always my starting point. They're what I first react to when I'm shopping and are probably one of the most important factors when I'm deciding to buy something or not. Needless to say, I really love colors, so I thought Coach's latest project ColorTag. There are so many colors! It was hard to choose, but I decided to go with #pool, since it matched my blog so nicely. Maybe I'll post more colors later, if I can figure out how to work them into a post. It's unfortunate it's just a giant square. Not sure why they didn't make a nice little circle like they have on the website...



Anyhoo, the blog that generates the most ColorTags, wins a $2500 Coach giftcard!! So please help me out by sharing the project via Twitter, Facebook, etc. If you're part of the project, please let me know, and I would be happy to return the favor!

Pinterest Spotlight

Here are some of my favorite pinners and pins on Pinterest :)

Sarah Ward is a local blogger and stylist, and an amazing pinboard curator! She has over 4000 pins ranging from personal style and beauty to DIY projects and informative articles.

I pinned this from Anna Tsoulogiannis's pinboard Black and White. Anna is a blogger and photographer with a great sense of style!

This charming photo is from the pinboard of one of my favorite bloggers, Sacramento Amate. Follow her if you love beautiful, unique vintage fashion and accessories!

When I need a little creative inspiration, I visit Elyse Lankford's pinboard Getting Crafty