What I Wore To Church - Pink Florals

Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Bubblegum

Skirt: ModCloth Adept Apprentice Skirt

Shoes: ThredUp (Qupid, same shoe as ModCloth Dynamic Debut Heel)

This outfit was driven by a couple of different things. Namely, a desire to wear some new purchases, as well as the Style Me November Style prompt for today (Instagram Crush).

I picked up the bubblegum cardigan during one of ModCloth's daily sales leading up to black Friday last week. I guess I wasn't the only one since they are now sold out completely. I loved the color and wanted to wear it as soon as possible. I used to HATE the color pink, but clearly I've gotten over that.

I picked up the skirt from a clothing swap group and had also been dying to wear it. (I plan on doing a post on swap groups soon! It's so addicting!) It is such a gorgeous skirt. Plaid, florals, and POCKETS all in one! Need I say more?

The shoes, were an amazing ThredUp find. I have the Dynamic Debut heel in Navy and love it to pieces so I did a happy dance when I spotted this pair on ThredUp.

Now, onto my Instagram Crush. I've been following @BristolElisabeth for a couple months now, and I just adore her style. It's always so bright and colorful, and so stinkin cute. So today, I thought I'd channel her with this look. I don't have any cute, fruity Luxulite accessories or colorful Bait flats, but I thought the outfit itself paid pretty good homage.

Since I'm pretty much decked out in ModCloth today, I guess I should give them a shout out. They are doing 25% off EVERYTHING with code CYBERMONDAY. If there's anything you've been eyeing, now would be a good time to buy!

Happy Shopping!

What I Wore To Church - Dotted Pencil Skirt and Boots

Shirt: Sweet Salt Boutique Classic Ultimate Scoop Tee

Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Navy

Skirt: ThredUp (LOFT)

Boots: JustFab Sayana

Well we had a much easier morning this morning than last Sunday. My outfit came together without having to try on anything more than once, and I had no problem styling something to go with the style prompt from the Style Me November Style Challenge. (The prompt was "Boots Made For Walking")

I've had a hard time in the past finding a pair of black tall boots I was happy with. I have about 50 billion (number estimated) pairs of brown boots, but black boots that I like have always been harder to come by. I bought and sent back at least 3 pairs from JustFab for various reasons (too tall, too pointy, too narrow) before I found these. I like the detailing on them and the wide shorter heel. Downside: they aren't the most comfortable things ever, but I'm guessing I can put an insole in them to make them better. Regardless, I liked the way they look and I thought they went well with the outfit.

I think boots and pencil skirts is a fairly classic look, and I love adding some fun tights to the mix. The rule I follow for boots and skirts is that there should be some leg showing, even if it's just a bit, especially if you are wearing tights. They add to the look so they should be seen!

This fantastic LOFT skirt was another ThredUp find (did you have any doubt?)! I love the black on white dots and the cute bow detailing. It did most of the styling for me so I didn't have to add much. Just a simple tee, cardigan, and statement necklace! Such a classy look without much effort. That's my kind of style.

If you've never shopped with ThredUp before, use my link and get $10 off your first purchase. I also have a couple of 30% off coupons for first time shoppers. Just let me know, and I'll send them out!

If you're interested in shopping with JustFab, use my link and get 20% off your first order. They are having a sale on their fuzzy boots (Ugg-like). They are $19.95 a pair if you order a full price item. Standard disclaimer: they are a shoe club, so be sure to read the terms and conditions about monthly charges and skipping.

Happy Shopping!

Style Me November - Week 3

I bring you week 3 of the Style Me November Style Challenge. If you'd like to read my previous posts on the challenge, read week 1 here and week 2 here. 

It's in the Bag:

Top: LOFT

Pants: JustFab Perfect Jegging Knit in Burgundy

Boots: JustFab Astana

Scarf: ModCloth Open Air Outing Circle Scarf in Black Cherry

Bag: CWonder Printed Signature Tote and Printed Zip Top Pouch

As I mentioned on IG, I absolutely adore these bags. They are pretty much all I carry any more. They are super handy and the print goes with everything. I put all the baby stuff in the tote and all my stuff in the zip top pouch. If I ever don't need the baby stuff, I can just pull the pouch out and use it as a clutch! 

Oversized Chic:

Top: ModCloth Bonfire Stories Tunic in Red Plaid

Jeans: JustFab Signature Skinny in Dark Medium

Boots: JustFab Landry

Scarf: Walmart (similar)

I didn't really have anything oversized, but this ModCloth tunic was close enough. 

Makes Me Feel Ladylike:

Dress: eShakti Shawl Collar Trapunto Trim Dress 

Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Navy

Shoes: B.O.C. (similar)

Pretty much every dress makes me feel ladylike, so this prompt was easy!

Blue Moon:

Sweater: Elizabeth & Clarke (swapped, similar)

Leggings: Old Navy Jersey Leggings

Boots: JustFab Astana

Necklace: Versona Accessories 

I didn't have a lot of blue clothing that wasn't navy so I let the necklace be the pop of blue to my super comfy outfit. Sidenote: I got this sweater the day prior, otherwise I would've worn it for Oversized Chic.

Colorful Gams:

Shirt: American Eagle (similar)

Tee: LOFT Striped Long Sleeve Shirt

Jeans: JustFab Perfect Jegging Knit in Burgundy

Boots: JustFab Acheline

My JustFab Knit Jeggings come to the rescue again since they are the only pair of colorful pants I have with me. 

Pattern Play:

Top: Target Merona Women's Boatneck 3/4 Sleeve

Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Honey

Pants: LOFT Camo Print Tailored Twill Skinny Pant (similar)

Shoes: Cato Fashions Knotted Flats

Typically I'm all about feminine prints like floral or polka dots, but I wanted to be different and use my LOFT camo skinny pants to do the pattern mixing. 

Denim Dame:

Top: Cato Fashions Striped Drop Shoulder Tee

Jeans: JustFab Signature Skinny in Dark Medium

Shoes: B.O.C. (similar)

Scarf: gift last year (similar)

Since I wore my chambray shirt a couple days ago, I didn't want to repeat it so soon. But Denim Dame, that's easy enough right? Just wear jeans! It's like a bingo free space! I can wear what I want! Holy crap, this was the hardest day this week for me. I had too many choices and too many options. It took me much longer than it should've for me to come up with this combo. Really it only came together because I just bought the shirt last night and I was looking for an excuse to wear it. I did some more pattern mixing and accented it with the leopard accessories. I really like the way it turned out.

Another week down, more creative juices flowing. I'll say again that this challenge has been so much fun!

Come back Thursday for next week's recap, or follow me on my instagram to see it daily!

How to Customize with eShakti

Most of you know I'm a bit obsessed with eShakti. I love the styles of their dresses and skirts as well as the ability to customize. It's like having a personal tailor at a fraction of the price. I've done posts previously on how eShakti works, but today I'm going to give you a handy guide on a couple of the different customization options and how best to utilize them.

We'll start with the built in customization options.

The most common way that I customize their dresses is sleeve changes. I take advantage of this one a lot. There are a TON of options, and each dress has specific options for that dress.

This is just an example of the options:

Below are a few ways I've customized. I don't usually get too creative because I like the versatility of a short sleeve. 

(Colorblock Stripe Poplin Dress, short sleeves added)

(Retro Style ZigZag Print Dress, cap sleeves added)

(Retro Poplin Shirtdress, sleeves customized from inset cap to short length with tie ups)

There's also the neckline adjustments. I hardly ever take advantage of this one but there are some pretty great options:

Below is the one time I've customized the neckline.

(Floral Vine Print Cotton Dress, neckline changed from square to scoop, sleeves changed from inset cap to regular cap)

It doesn't look like much of an adjustment, but it made all the difference. A friend bought this dress before I did, and she said that the neckline was way too low for us busty gals so I opted for the scoop to make it a little less revealing. 

There aren't as many options for customizing the length, but it's still great that the option exists.

Below is the one time I've taken advantage of the changing the length. I decided that particular dress would be more flattering on me at knee length rather than maxi. 

(Smocked Elastic Waist Maxi Dress, cap sleeves added and length changed to knee length)

One thing I love is that they charge you $7.50 total to customize, not $7.50 per each customization so I could do both customizations above and it still only cost me $7.50 extra. 

One trick if you are only wanting to change the length by a couple inches, but don't want to pay the customization charge is to add (or subtract) a couple inches from your height when ordering the dress.

 Each dress is made specifically for your height (one of the benefits of eShakti) so changing this doesn't change the price. But beware, this may change the proportions of the dress. I've done it before without issue, but it was only a couple inches, and I have a pretty standard length torso.

The last thing that you can do with that $7.50 customization fee is to give them custom measurements and they will make you a dress, top to bottom, built just for you. This is a great option for people that have trouble wearing standard sizes (Big on top/small on bottom or vice versa for example).

They have a handy chart here, that tells you exactly how to measure each of their 8 measurements, or if you click on the question mark next to each measurement, it will give you a graphic diagram of each measurement. 

On that note, there is also a sort of "secret measurement" that you can enter if you have a long or short torso. First you measure from the shoulder to under the bust, and then measure from the shoulder down to the natural waist. You put these measurements in the "Special Instructions" box at check out. Make sure you label which measurement is which. 

A question I get a lot is whether or not you should add 1/2 to 1 inch in your measurements so the dress isn't skin tight. This last time I customized, I didn't add any additional length into my measurements. I put the measurements in exactly as shown. It seems that they build a bit of buffer into the measurements themselves because the dress definitely didn't fit skin tight, so definitely no need to add in a buffer yourself.  

So that concludes my tutorial, any questions? 

eShakti is currently doing a 40% off site wide sale but there are some stipulations. The order total after discount has to be at least $50 in order for the discount to apply, and it doesn't work towards overstock. It's still worth a look though. 

Happy Shopping!

This post was NOT sponsored by eShakti. All the dresses in the post, I bought personally, and all the tips here are from my own experience or those of friends. 

What I Wore To Church - Shawl Collar Dress

 

Dress: eShakti Shawl Collar Trapunto Trim Dress
Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Navy
Shoes: B.O.C. (similar)

First off, please excuse the crazy hair. It was super blustery out there today, and I couldn't get it to sit still. Second, I feel like I should be honest. I wasn't crazy about this outfit. I didn't try it on last night (my biggest mistake) then my alarm didn't go off this morning so I was rushed to pull it together. I tried on 3 different cardigans before settling on this one. I thought it was a pretty lazy combination so I wasn't totally thrilled with it. Also, I'm pretty sure I tried on every pair of shoes I have at my mom's house and couldn't find one I loved, so I settled on these, because yes, leopard is a neutral. To top it off my hair and makeup wasn't cooperating so I ended up walking out of the house in a sour mood. Not generally a good way to start church.

After looking at the pictures it wasn't as bad as I originally thought, but it's still not my favorite. I'll have to try to style this dress again in the future to redeem myself.

If all goes better this week, my post on Tuesday should be about how to customize a dress with eShakti, since this dress is custom measurements. It's the first time in a while that I've done custom measurements, and I tend to get a lot of questions about the best way to measure. Now that it's fresh in my mind, I'll write it up for the future.

Until then, I hope you have a happy Sunday!

Style Me November - Week 2

Without further ado, I bring you this week's looks from the Style Me November Style Challenge. For more info on the challenge, see my post from last week. 

A Steal On Sale:

Vest: ThredUp (BB Dakota, similar)
Top: ThredUp (LOFT, similar)
Jeans: JustFab Perfect Jeggings Knit in Burgundy
Shoes: ThredUp (Aldo, similar)

Pretty much everything I buy from ThredUp is a steal on sale, but this BB Dakota vest and these Aldo booties are probably my favorite finds.

Falling for Florals:

Top: H&M
Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Navy
Jeans: JustFab Signature Skinny in Dark Medium
Shoes:Vans Authentic 

It was surprisingly tough for me to come up with some florals. This was the only top I had in a floral print. Luckily it was pretty neutral so I could have fun with it.

You may notice that I skipped Polka Dots and Plaids. That's because I had a cranky baby on Sunday and didn't go to skirt so on to Monday.

Queen of Hearts:

Dress: ThredUp (Old Navy, similar)
Top: American Eagle (similar)
Leggings: Old Navy Women's Jersey Leggings
Shoes: ThredUp (Aldo, similar)

I only had one heart print item, and I tried styling it a couple of different ways. This is what I settled on and even though it wasn't at all my usual style, it ended up being one of my favorite looks of the week.

Something Shimmers:

Earrings: Avenue

I spent the day out of town shopping with my mom so I didn't get any full body shots. Since the prompt just applied to my earrings, this is all you get. My apologies.

Sealed with a Kiss:

Vest: LOFT Polka Dot Quilted Puffer Vest
Top: ThredUp (LOFT, similar)
Jeans: JustFab Signature Skinny in Dark Medium
Boots: JustFab Acheline

While shopping I found this supa cute polka dot vest at LOFT. I couldn't wait to style it so I was happy to see the prompt was "sealed with a kiss". I threw on some lipstick and called it a day.

School Girl Prep:

Top: LOFT (similar)
Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Red
Jeans: HauteLook (Seven7)
Shoes: HauteLook (Keds, exact)

This was one of my most nerve wracking looks of the week. I haven't curled my hair since I was probably 12, but after watching One Little Momma's tutorial this morning, I thought I'd try it. It needs some work but I'm ok with how it turned out. Also I decided to channel my inner Taylor Swift with the red lip and the red keds. I've never done a red lip ever so that also made me nervous but I kinda love it!

So that's the week. I have to say, this has to be the most fun thing I've done style wise. It makes me get dressed (almost) every day, and it forces me to get creative. It's definitely worth it if you have the ability to do it.

If you want to follow along on instagram, you can follow me here!

Happy Shopping!

Everyday Style - Style Challenge for November

Everyday Style Thursday is going to be a bit different this month. I've decided to try something new and do an Instagram Style Challenge. What is a Style Challenge, you may ask? Everyday you are given a style prompt, and you style your outfit for that day around the style prompt. It helps the creative styling juices flow and can get you out of a styling rut. There were a couple of different IG users hosting challenges for November, but I decided that the Challenge from Dean Street Society fit in with my existing style pretty well.

So on Thursdays during the month of November, I'm going to be posting my looks from the previous week based on these style prompts. This week is going to be a short one because I didn't get in on it until the 3rd. You can also follow along with me on my Instagram!

Sailor Stripes:

Top: Target Women's Boatneck 3/4 Tee

Pants: JustFab Pefect Jegging Knit in Burgundy

Boots: JustFab Landry

Scarf: Walmart Knit Infinity Scarf

White Night:

Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Dots

Top: H&M Lace Trimmed Tank Top

Jeans: JustFab Signature Skinny Solid in Dark Medium

Boots: JustFab Acheline

Necklace: Walmart

Once Upon a Necklace:

Cardigan: C.Wonder

Top: LOFT Shoulder Button Boatneck Tee

Jeans: JustFab Signature Skinny Solid in Dark Medium

Boots: JustFab Acheline

Necklace: Zulily 

Menswear Maiden:

Jacket: Maurice's

Tee: Target Crew Long Sleeve Boyfriend Tee

Jeans: HauteLook (Seven7)

Shoes: Cato Fashions Suede Knotted Flat

Scarf: Versona Accessories 

So far it's been fun trying to come up with something to go with the style prompt, even if it's something small like a necklace or a cardigan. Again, you can follow along day by day on my Instagram (or through the hashtag #StyleMeNovember) or you can just wait until Thursday to see the whole week! Let me know if you want to do the challenge too (it's never too late) and I'll follow you on instagram!

Happy Shopping!

Tell Me About - Bluum Baby Box October 2014

As you may know, I have an addiction to subscriptions. It really is a problem, but I like to share the love so this subscription isn't for me. It's for Maggie! I'd been wanting to try a baby box, so when I saw the coupon for half off your first box at Bluum box, I couldn't resist. 

First I'd like to tell you a bit about the company. It's a subscription box ($29/mo) geared towards children from pregnancy to age 5. You personalize your profile based on your child's age, gender, developmental stage, and milestones (eating solids, rolling over, etc.), and they personalize your box. There are 4-6 full size products in each box with at least one for moms. Since it was my first box, the only thing I personalized was the age and gender. It wasn't until later that I saw the option to fill in milestones, which may have helped things.

Now let's talk about the products in the 6 month box for girls. 

Organic Flower "Book", $10.99

I put "book" in quotes because clearly it's not a book. It has fun textures (it crinkles), but overall Maggie wasn't super impressed with it. She may be a bit beyond this kind of simple toy. 

Blankie - Fuchsia Robot, $13

This was a cute addition although, again Maggie doesn't seem to be super impressed with lovies. She gravitates more towards toys with more interesting details and textures, and she prefers to cuddle with a tricot pillowcase. I would hope this would be adjusted if I had filled out the profile with a little more detail. 

Foozlers Pig, $10.95

This one has a rattle in it which is cute but my picky daughter just tosses it to the side in favor of her stacking cups (I'm not trying to say my daughter is advanced or only interested in development educational toys or anything, just stating the facts).

Ella's Kitchen Stage 1 - Pears, Mangoes, & Papayas, $2 each

Since we haven't started on fruits yet, this will have to wait to get used, but it will definitely get used once we get to that point. It was a nice addition.

And for mom:

Luna Protein bars, $2 each

I haven't tried these specific ones yet but I know they taste pretty good. These are great to just toss in your purse for when you're on the go and you don't have time to eat or you need a quick snack.

The total value of the box was $42.94. $13 more than the true cost of the box and significantly more than the $15 I paid for it. 

Clearly it's a great value, but my hang up is that I'm paying for things that Maggie may or may not use. In this case, I only think the food will get used. She doesn't seem to care for the rest. Also, I don't think she or I needed so much pink just because she's a girl. I think my $30 would be better spent on things I know for a fact she'll use or play with. 

However, unlike a lot of subscription boxes, YOU CAN SKIP! That was the difference that kept me from immediately calling and cancelling (it would've had to be immediate since the box came on the 28th. and they would've charged me for the next box on the 1st). I figure I'll keep it for another few months and keep an eye on the boxes before I make the decision to cancel. $30 is a bit much to squeeze in to the budget, but if I do some more research and find it's worth it, I'll keep it around. 

If you'd like to try it out, you can use my link here, and use code HALF OFF for (you guessed it) 50% off your first box.