All Things Sweet

What's better than strolling through a classic candy shop and getting free toffee from the owner!? Gail was kind enough to let us take a few pictures at her store in downtown Chicago called the Confection Connection.

My look includes a top I bought on sale at Anthropologie last summer, which I haven't worn it much because it's a busy pattern. So on Friday when I was out of dresses and skirts that I wanted to wear to keep cool, I threw on this breezy blouse.

I paired it with my favorite pants from Free People that are a cotton/spandex blend that look great dressed up or casually.

But my favorite part of this outfit are the shoes and accessories. A few stacked silver and gold bracelets are simple and not too flashy, keeping the blouse the main part of the show.
The necklace is my favorite and also a gift from Anthropologie. It's hard to see in the pics, but has a pink and green crystal pedant on a gold chain and keeps me feeling sparkly every day.

The shoes are the highest platforms I've ever owned, and definitely make me tower close to 5'11" in a blush tone suede. They are definitely comfortable, but I must say I walk slowly so I don't roll my ankle and fall flat on my behind.

Outfit from head to toe: crystal pendant necklace and jungle print blouse from Anthropologie, riding pant from Free People, vintage bracelets, and shoes by Chinese Laundry.
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Fashion for Many Functions

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to have multiple plans in one night, including my friend's photo exhibit and a late night fashion show. Oh, and I had to go straight to these events from work. So what did I wear to make a look go from day to night and keep it appropriate for multiple locations?

Layers! If you're like me, you'd love to wear heels during 8 hour days, but then you are crippled with pain or develop unsightly bunions. Instead, I opt for boots, oxfords or ballet flats as my staples.

My office is a pretty casual, business casual environment so I was able to "corporatize" my silky tiered dress with a black blazer and leather boots.

For the evening look I traded the boots for my lace-up wedges, ditched the blazer and brought a feathered broach with me to pin in my hair if I felt like adding more glamor to my look.

The key here is layering and making slight edits to the outfit throughout the day. I just left the blazer and boots behind at work and went out for a night on the town!


Outfit from head to toe: necklace from Tiara Love, black blazer from H&M, sequin dress from Urban Outfitters, black boots by Geox, black wedges from Urban Outfitters, and ring from Rudy's Roundup.

"Effortless Eco Style" - GreenheartShop.org

From clothes, to home goods, Greenheart is a must for eco and trade friendly goods. I had the pleasure of being a guest stylist for Greenheart's "Look of the Week". Check out this video for a simply chic look that can take you from day to night. Thanks to the wonderful ladies at Greenheart for being so great to work with. I had a blast!


Outfit from head to toe: Gracie Dress by Ethos, earrings by Feisty Elle Feather Earrings, bracelets: available in-store only at 1911 West Division Street, Chicago ring available in-store only, belt from Ann Taylor LOFT, tights from TOPSHOP, and lace-up wedges from DSW by Levity. 

Not So Normal Neutral

In Chicago, weather dictates a lot of what we wear, and it's pretty difficult to achieve fashion and function. Hence, during the winter most of us are in boots 24/7 so that we can be prepared for the rain/slush/snow/thunderstorms. I can't remember the last time I wore any of my heels!

With boots, it's hard to pull off anything other than brown or black, but what about slate gray? I've been eying different pairs of gray boots (even though I have about ten pairs of black boots. It's a problem), but I just can't find a pair that I want to commit to. Emmy caught my attention with her gray suede riding boots with accents of brown and a perfectly coordinated neutral outfit.

Her outfit is well balance with multiple tones of gray that complement the navy stripe button down. I also like that Emmy wore a gold watch and bracelet. It contrasts with the gray rather than blending together like silver.

Love her look, and she always looks chic!

Emmy's outfit head to toe: button down by Michael Kors, skirt from J.Crew, watch by Dolce & Gabanna, tights from Banana Republic, boots by Franco Sarto

White Hot Winter

I'm probably going to ruffle many feathers when I say that I do not agree with the rule "no white after labor day". There is a way to do it and it involves creamy and non-bleached whites that will be less abrasive in the cold winter months.

My sister, Elise, and I are lucky to be spending the holidays in Florida. A light jacket is all we need to be comfortable in the perfect holiday weather, and Elise pulled off this look flawlessley. What I love about Elise's outfit is that we had two places to be in one night and by simply changing her shoes, she made the look appropriate for each destination.

Lace is all over the racks this winter, and this flesh tone crop top flattered her so well next to black crop jeans, a white blazer and her pick of black shoes.

For our Uncle's 60th birthday party, she went with studded black flats. Then for our friend's house party, she threw on sky-high snake-skin heels. Not to mention, Elise's hair was perfectly wavy with adorable pearl pins to keep her hair out of her face.

Elise's outfit head to toe: White blazer from H&M, nude lace crop-top from H&M, black jeans from PacSun, black flats from the resale shop Crossroads Trading Co., and snake-skin heels from ALDO.

Personal Styling: Sparkle for Susan

The holiday season is everywhere you turn and one thing we haven't missed this year is all that glitters and sparkles. I love all of it and was taken by a beautiful sequin sweater in Susan's closet.

Susan and I spent a few hours together one Sunday afternoon pulling together fun outfits for nights out on the town. As part of the personal styling session, Susan asked that I help put together a look to go with a new gold jacket she purchased.

Since the jacket is a bold color and has a broad color and great detail, I chose neutral pieces to compliment the look. The sequin's on the sweater have a greenish hue in the light and sparkle just enough without being too loud against the jacket.

Black riding pants and leather boots keep Susan looking polished. Simple gold stud earrings are the perfect accent to this snappy ensemble.

 

Susan's outfit head to toe: Ann Taylor LOFT gold jacket, vintage sequin top, J.Crew black riding pants, and black leather boots by Ralph Lauren.  

Season's greetings!

Little Bit of Edge

I've been hoping to write a blog post about my fellow co-worker, Kirsten Chan, whom I've noticed always has the best accessories. Not to mention, adorable style too.

I caught Kirsten's tweet the other day that said she had on a gorgeous necklace, so I requested that she stop by my desk so I could check it out. Not only was it a kick-ass necklace, but her whole outfit rocked, so I had to blog about it.

Let's start with the necklace.

I love the rough around the edges chain-link metal that hold the three pendants, but the best part of this necklace has to be the back! It wraps from Kirstens neck, over her shoulders and dangles down the back. When she showed me this detail I just about fell out of my chair. What a fun surprise detail!

Kirsten paired the necklace with matching brushed metal cuffs and a ring. Her earrings are horseshoe studs  decorated with little crystals.

I love what Kirsten did with the rest of her outfit. Since this necklace is such a show stopper, she kept the rest of her outfit simple. Her pleated dress, and simple cardigan don't detract from the necklace and keep her outfit work-appropriate.

 

And it gets better...Kirsten's tights have the slightest pattern. The navy pattern contrasts well with her black and gray pieces without being too bright and distracting. And the booties keep her look modern and sassy.

Kirsten's outfit head to toe: black cardigan from French Connection, dress from Korea (the country, sorry friends), tights from the Calvin Klein Outlet, boots from Akira, necklace from Urban Outfitters, bracelets and rings from Cold Picnic and earrings from Trillium.

Thanks to Ian for the photos, Kirsten for being a model, and Nia at Guzzardo's floral shop  for letting us use her store front as our set!