Look of the Day: Lapis & Marble

This is the perfect time of year. I love it for the same reason I love May and the same reason the fashion world's biggest shows are in Spring & Fall. You have almost unlimited possibilities when it comes to dressing. You can wear sundresses or you can layer up; you can show your legs, if you like, while still feeling cozy in a new sweater. If you love fashion, then this in-between weather is your best friend!

The pieces in this look are both pretty light. They're perfect for now, and when it gets colder, I'll start adding layers over the shirt and closed-toe shoes will help keep my bottom half warm.

If you read my post about my Fall fashion inspiration, you'll know I've been real into rocks & stuff lately. The post on jewel tones actually kind of all started with this marble patterned blouse from Oasap. On the website, they call it "splashed ink", but I immediately thought of marble. I'd been wearing my amethyst necklace all summer and finally put two and two together: I should just go all out! Now I'm looking for a bit of the geode in everything I buy.

Even my watch is fake turquoise. It's pretty neat. Sadly, it doesn't work, so it's mostly just a piece of jewelry. If you're looking for one that actually tells times, I found a few similar to it. This Michael Kors' Channing watch features a turquoise dial face. Kate Spade makes a watch with a vibrant aqua leather band. While it's not stone, it's still just as striking! If you're looking for a steal, this Kenneth Jay Lane watch is on sale for $58 and was originally $250! 

The bag, you ask? Well, it's another vintage Coach! My mom bought it new years ago and, for my 30th birthday, bequeathed it to me. I brought it to my beach party & haven't stopped using it since. I'm in love.

Oasap blouse - Old Navy Cinched Pants - Vintage Coach Purse (similar) - American Deadstock Sunglasses - Old Navy Woven Sandals - Vintage watch (similar) - Forever 21 bracelets - Tiffany Sterling Bead Bracelet

♠

Look of the Day: Happy Friday!

Finally! Yes, finally, sitting down to do some blogging.

A couple weeks ago, I walked into one of the local thrift stores and immediately spotted this denim gem. In my mind, a denim romper is like the ultimate romper. And what luck! It fits perfectly!

 What a great week it's been! Finally got some painting done (coming to the blog soon!), went swimming, my feet have been almost pain-free, and today I had Lunch with my friend, Ellen! Tomorrow, I get to go garage sale-ing with my dad and then will have dinner with the in-laws. Life is good. I hope you all are having as good a week as I am :)

If not, you should cheer yourself up by visiting Finch & Sparrow and buying yourself something nice :) Use the discount code "FLEUR12" to get 15% off your purchase!

Thrifted Limited Romper (similar) - J.Crew Cotton Cardigan (similar) - Vintage leather bag - Black Flats (similar) - H&M flower brooch - Forever21 bracelets (similar #1 and similar #2)

Look of the Day: rain or shine

Seattle Spring: rain, sun, wind, hail.

The clouds are amazing, as they always are this time of year. Big, billowy mountains floating across the sky. I get distracted when I drive over one of our many bridges. Hopefully I won't ever have to blame an accident on "pretty clouds". That's a pretty lame explanation. 

 I was really regretting not purchasing this silver purse from Zara a while back, but it just so happens H&M had nearly the exact same thing. I got it for $5! The cape is a treasure I found at a thrift store in Olympia and the Merino wool turtleneck was $2 at the Fremont Sunday Market.

 Vintage cape - Thrifted wool turtleneck - H&M clutch - Forever21 skirt - Cooperative wedges

Look of the Day: slap-in-the-face pink!

Oh geez, I love this sweatshirt. It's way too big and probably unflattering, but I just cannot see past that pink! Actually, it might be ruining my eyesight, and not just simply distracting me.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit I've bought two short sleeved sweatshirts in the past month. I don't know why, but I feel like my best friend from high school, Sarah, would make fun of me for wearing them, like when I shaved my arms junior year.
The sweatshirts seem a little silly, but are actually making a lot more sense then I thought they would. This Spring has been pretty cold so far, but I want to at least pretend the weather is getting nice! Short sleeves with a soft, fuzzy interior are working out just perfectly.

J.Crew chambray shirt - Vintage sweatshirt - Polka dot skirt (similar) - Vintage purse - Forever21 glasses (similar) - Xhilaration flats

Spring Color Trends: Part 2

Spring Color Trend: Pastels by fleur-d-elise featuring a collarless jacket

Pastels are still prominent, but at Jill Stuart, they were paired perfectly with candy brights.

It was easy to find similar pieces at affordable prices, since J.Crew has some nearly identical color combinations in their Spring line. If J. Crew is still too pricey, look to H&M's new S/S '12 line for fresh brights and sweet pastels.

Here are some other great pieces that follow this trend!

Cotton candy trousers? Yes please! Buy them at HM.com

Cotton Candy Pants by fleur-d-elise on polyvore.com

Pineapple sorbet and lemon jelly beans come to mind when I look at these pumps from Charlotte Russe:

Shoes! by fleur-d-elise featuring patent leather platform pumps

Ok, I hate gumdrops, but I love this purse. Buy at Forever21.com:

For my blog by fleur-d-elise featuring cross body handbags

Colors/Patterns: Fall 2011

colors/patterns by fleur-d-elise featuring Pieces

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you are here reading my blog by choice, not because you couldn't find that article about cage fighting and have opted to read this instead. What I'm getting at is that if you're reading this, you probably care about fashion and so have observed at least a little of what's going in colors and patterns this season.

Polka dots are a big one (I've already blogged about this, sheesh)! They're cute, fun, and classic. Plus, anyone can wear them! Try combining a neutral polka dot with one of this season bright colors, such as orange or magenta.

I am not a fan of jade, nor am I fan of snake skin, but together they just work! Take the above Zara bag for instance. The combo is just meant to be. Go for a natural looking snake skin (real or fake), since unnaturally colored prints look tacky after a while.

Two of my favorite trends this Fall: leopard and burgundy! It can be tricky wearing an entire garment in leopard print, but don't be shy! Try a skirt or accessorize with the print. Belts and scarves are a good option. Burgundy, in all of it's regal splendor, looks great with the browns and camels found in leopard print.

Fall Wish List: Bright colors

There is no reason Fall should be limited to dark, neutral colors reminiscent of forest mould. That's why this Autumn, at the top of my wish list, are bright colors. I have 3, maybe 4 reasons, for putting color in such a lofty position.

#1
They're perfecting cheering up any gray Seattle morning and, if you think about it, will make the transition from Summer to Fall that much easier.
Which brings us to...

#2
You already have all the brightest pieces in circulation, don't you? Yes you do, because they're always popular during the Summer! Now just layer them up and you're set for cool weather!

#3
I haven't gotten enough of the color blocking trend. I want to do more! It's so fun, so bold, and so graphically pleasing. You look like a chic piece of modern art in color blocked clothing.

#4
Oh yes, I already mentioned it. Brights are perfect for cheering up a gloomy Fall day!

If you're really itching for some new pieces for your wardrobe or you just can't seem to get the Popsicle stains out of that one yellow top, then I highly recommend checking out J.Crew's Fall 2011 line. Color is everywhere! They took out all the stops and have done some daring, yet ingenious styling. Just look at this red and fuchsia combo!!

I'm buying those trousers as soon as they go on sale! Check out the rest of the lookbook at Refinery29