"Modestly Fashioned"

Recipe Edition: Stir-Fry Chicken with Soba Noodles

2011-06-04T20:41:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 (8 1/2 ounce) package soba noodles
2 Tbsp canola oil
4-5 chicken breasts, boneless/skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced or 2 cubes frozen crushed garlic (Gefen or Dorot brand)
1/2 cup ginger teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup water
1 cup frozen shelled edemame, thawed*
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions:

Cook noodles according to package instructions.

In a wok or large saute pan, heat canola oil over high heat. Add chicken and cook thoroughly. Add garlic and gently mix to combine. Cook for 2 minutes and add noodles. Toss noodles with chicken and garlic.

Add ginger teriyaki sauce and toss. Add water, by the tablespoon, if needed, to fully coat the noodles and chicken with sauce. Add edemame and scallions. Toss gently and heat through.

*I boiled frozen edemame for 5 minutes to cook them
*I used 2 cubes of frozen ginger for a tangier flavor
*For a pareve option, substitute tofu for the chicken

Enjoy! Let me know what you think if you make this dish:)

Never Never Land

2011-06-04T19:38:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

I am so glad that y'all like the recipe! I think that this will become a more regular feature:)

I served the Peanut Butter Mousse Pie at Shabbos dinner last night with our friends A & Y and it was a hit! The biggest complaint is that it is "very rich". It was the first time I made that recipe and it was very easy. It took longer than I expected but that's because I didn't read the instructions ahead of time and didn't factor the refrigeration time. However, putting it in the refrigerator overnight was really helpful. I have another recipe on the way for ya, so look out:)

This shirt was a great thrift find and I feel so cute and feminine everytime I wear it. I love cute the peter pan collar detail. I am not really sure what the pattern is...it's kinda lolly pop shaped? Well, whatever it is, I like it:) I finally broke out the white denim skirt since it is after Memorial day (I don't really care too much about the white rule and memorial day...it was more that we were in Florida and I didn't bring it with me), and I had forgotten how much I love this skirt! It is such a great summer classic. I think that every woman needs a white denim skirt for summer. This one is a perfect length and cut for me and I always feel summery when I wear it. Since the pattern is busy, I kept the accessories neutral; a tan studded belt and a gold chain necklace were all I needed. I like the contrast of the black wedges; they really pop against the bright color of the shirt.

Outfit:

Undershirt: Pink Orchid

Shirt: Thrifted

Skirt: GAP

Belt: J.CREW

Necklace: Banana Republic

Shoes: Dolce Vita for Target

Sunnies: LOFT

Do you follow the "No White Before Memorial Day" rule? What's your favorite white item?

Recipe Edition: Peanut Butter Mousse Cake

2011-06-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

If you have been following Modestly Fashioned for a while, you are well aware that one of my other great passions is cooking. I learned how to cook in college when I got my own apartment and since then I have dreamed of days of cooking elaborate Shabbos meals for my husband, simple nightly dinners, and baking just for the heck of it. I have been known to cook a ton of cookies and give them to friends just for the heck of it:) Sometimes on Fridays, if we are hosting big meals, I am in the kitchen for 6-7 hours at a time, and although sometimes I fear that I won't finish before Shabbos starts, it all seems to come together.

I have decided to add a 'Recipe Edition' feature to MF. Feel free to tell me what you think of this:) I am going to try to put all types of recipes here, from fancy schmancy Shabbos food, to what we ate for last night's dinner. If you have any requests for what type of recipes you would like to see, let me know!

This first recipe is a dessert that I made for a Shabbos dinner meal that D and I are hosting tonight for our sweet friends A & Y. It looks super fancy but it was actually quite easy to make!

Ingredients:

Crust:
*2 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs or chocolate wafer crumbs (I used a food processor to make the cookies into crumbs)
*1/2 cup peanuts, chopped (I bought peanut halves and used to food processor to chop them)
*1/4 cup sugar
*2 Tbsp margarine, melted (I used SmartBalance in a tub and didn't melt it)

Mousse:
*1 3/4 cups pareve whipping cream (I used Rich's Whip)
*2 cups creamy peanut butter
*2 (8 oz.) tubs tofutti cream cheese, softened (this is pareve)
*2 cups icing (confectioner's/powdered) sugar
*2 Tbsp vanilla extract

Topping:
*1/4 cup sugar
*1/4 cup pareve whipping cream (Rich's Whip)
*1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
*1/2 cup peanuts, chopped, to garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crust:

In a large bowl, combine cookie crumbs, peanuts, 1/4 cup sugar and melted margarine. (I did all of this in my food processor). Press into a 10-inch springform pan. (I don't have a springform pan, so I put mine in a pyrex pie dish.) Bake for 15 minutes. Cool. Set aside.

Mousse:

Using an electric or hand-held mixer, beat the whipping cream until stiff. (I used an immersion blender with a whisk attachment.) Set aside.
In another mixing bowl, beat together peanut butter and tofutti cream cheese until smooth. Stir in icing sugar and vanilla, mixing well. Gently fold in beaten whipping cream, a quarter at a time. Pour into baked crust. Refrigerate until set approximately 2 hours. (I refrigerated it overnight.)

Topping:

In a medium-sized saucepan, combine sugar and whipping cream. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove cake from refrigerator. Spread topping evenly over filling. Garnish with peanuts. Refrigerate until cold. Serve chilled.

If you make it let me know what you think:)

Laid Back

2011-06-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

Cuuuute puppy feet:)

Occasion:

I wore this outfit yesterday while I was running some errands and making a nice dinner for D and my sweet friend, E, who is staying with is for a month. I am soooo happy to have you, E!!! Yay, roomie:) I am really lucky that I have a husband who likes to cook and even though I do the majority of the cooking, it's nice that D knows how/likes to cook. There are even some things that I just don't make because D makes them so well that I don't think that I could top it...he's a master at making schnitzel and yummy vegetable soup!

I think I might start including some of my recipes on here...what do you, as my loyal readers, think? Would you want to see some weekly recipes? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

I like the laid-back feel of this outfit; the fact that it is made up of simple pieces and embellished with accessories. Hats have definitely been my go-to accessory this spring and I am sure it will continue into the summer. In addition to "topping off" a great ensemble, they provide shade from the sun and help protect delicate face skin from the sun's harmful rays. Staying safe and looking cute: counting me in!

Outfit:

Undershirt: Elzee

Shirt: GAP

Skirt: Banana Republic

Belt: J.CREW

Hat: Banana Republic

Shoes: DSW (Steve Madden)

Necklace: Thrifted

What is your ideal 'laid-back' outfit? Have you jumped on the 'hat bandwagon'?

Bright Pink

2011-06-01T18:04:00.000-07:00


D gave me these pearl earrings for my birthday!!! Sooo sweet...thanks D!

Occasion:

Memorial Day feels like the official start to summer for me...nevermind that the summer solstice doesn't happen until next month. After this holiday weekend it seems that people's attitudes really change. Moods are lifted by the abundant sun, people make vacation plans, tans start to set in...ahhh, summer, how I have waited for you to arrive! Even though the summer is the most difficult season to dress modestly in, it still couldn't come fast enough for me this year! I know that in a few weeks I will be sweaty and miserable in my layers, but after the winter we had in the northeast, I know I can deal with the heat. Yes, it is a bit awkward to get questions about my mode of dress in the summer. Layers are given quizzical looks, sheitals get hot, and I get really tired of my frummy tan lines. But at least I have tan lines:)

The Florida sun was kind to me this weekend...no burn to speak of and some great color! We had a blast swimming, boating, lounging, shopping and spending some time with my wonderful family! We finally got to give them the gifts we got for them in Europe and they loved them. I have to say, I was a bit nervous to take Keppie with us. Not only the travelling, but also the way she would get along with my family's dogs. I was BLOWN away (and I think my mom was too!!). She was amazing on the plane. She layed down underneath our feet the whole time. She didn't like the landing and sat up for most of it...but who really like the plane's landing? NO ONE! She and Tali (my mom's german shepherd became besties and we even ended up leaving one of Keppie's toys behind for Tali and Simi (my sister's golden retriever) since they seemed to like it so much. We got back last night and Keppie was so exhausted that she slept all day today! We are happy to be home and I spent some time today cleaning the apartment and cooking a nice dinner of beef and green bean stirfry...yumm!

I wore this outfit on my birthday and felt great in it:) I need to take my cherry red Longchamp to get it's corners fixed so I needed a replacement for a few weeks. This bright orange purse is a good size and I love that it has an adjustable strap so that I can wear it as an over-the-shoulder bag or just a regular shoulder bag:) It's a great pop of color and I love how it goes with this bright ensemble.

This shirt has a great floral pattern and it goes extremely well with the coral color of the drapey semi-pleated skirt. The coral sandals and bright flower necklace finish off the outfit and it's all topped off with a fun straw fedora and aviator sunnies.

Outfit:

Cream Undershirt: Elzee

Shirt: Banana Republic

Skirt: Banana Republic

Necklace: LOFT

Purse: H&M

Shoes: Aldo

Sunnies: LOFT

Hat: J.CREW

Any big summer plans? What do you look forward to after Memorial Day?

A Little R & R!

2011-05-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

Sorry for the brief hiatus! D and I are currently in sunny Southwest Florida visiting my parents:) We have been keeping busy with boat rides, beach lounging, outlet shopping and nighttime swims in my parents pool. It is great to get to see my family and spend some time outdoors and in the water.

Here are some highlights from our trip so far:

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Elzee

White Tank: J.CREW

Cardigan: Anthropologie

Skirt: Banana Republic

Necklace: LOFT

Shoes: Target

Did you have a relaxing Memorial Day weekend? What did you do?

Mazal Tov!

2011-05-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

Last Monday our sweet friends, E & E had a baby boy!!! This past Monday was his bris and they gave him a beautiful name along with a blessing to be a strong individual and a leader in the Jewish community as he grows up. D took pictures with his nice camera and they turned out wonderful. E & E also have a beautiful daughter, T, and she looked like a doll and was a proud big sis:) They are wonderful parents and I can only hope that when the time comes for me and D, that we will take some lessons from them.

Morning davening (praying) was really early (6:30) and so D and I were up at 5:45...an hour I only usually see when we have a morning flight. I wore this outfit for my last day of school and never got to take photos, so I used this as an opportunity to rewear and actually document it. Score for having an outfit in the wings!

I got this marigold tunic while thrifting and I really need to get it taken in, but I wanted to wear it, so I decided to belt it with my chunky leather braided belt. I paired it with a black pencil skirt, added a pop of color with a red beaded necklace and finished the ensemble off with these fun neutral espadrilles.

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Ruthies

Tunic: Thrifted

Skirt: Target

Belt: J.CREW

Glasses: Dolce & Gabbana

Bag: Longchamp

Necklace: Thrifted

Bracelet: Thrifted

Shoes: Old Navy

Stripey

2011-05-24T17:42:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

First of all, it's my BIRTHDAY today!!! Woohoo! D and I celebrated by going to see a Broadway musical in NYC. We saw 'Baby It's You' about the Shirelle's rise to fame and their career. We also went to a nice restaurant and had a great dinner. This morning I woke up to pearl earrings on my nightstand. D also got me almost all of the Glee soundtracks. Thanks for making my birthday so special for me D! I love you and can't wait to celebrate many many more birthdays with you:)

I am going to preface this post by saying that I really don't like this outfit but that is part of style blogging and also part of life...so here goes. I have actually since returned this shirt because I didn't like the way it fit once I saw the photos. It is definitely too big and unflattering. But this is my daily life documented in photos so you know you are seeing the good, the bad and the ugly (hopefully very little bad and ugly!).

Lots of style bloggers have this navy and green stripey shirt and when I saw it on others I loved it...so I ran out and bought it. Turns out, this was one of those items that definitely looks better on others (and the hanger) than me...oh well, you win some you lose some. I paired it with this navy skirt and I think that because the shirt is baggy and the skirt is flowy, the whole balance of the outfit is off and just looks big and awkward. I should stick to the one looser/one fitted piece rule...its a tried-and-true one. To add some color, I wore this fun beaded necklace, some turquoise sandals and topped the ensemble off with this fun panama hat. It was a good effort, but in the end it just didn't pan out.

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Pink Orchid

Shirt: H&M

Skirt: GAP

Necklace: LOFT

Shoes: Target

Hat: H&M

Bag: Longchamp

Sunnies: LOFT

Do you ever have days where your outfits just don't pan out?

Ukrainian Gypsy

2011-05-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

I wore this outfit during my last week of school and totally forgot about these outfit pics on D's nice camera.

Funny story about this outfit: During our lunch break a bunch of us decided to walk to 72nd Street to Soom Soom to get food. I had brought my lunch that day, but needed the break from sitting and it was a gorgeous day so I decided to tag along for the walk. As we were approaching Soom Soom, S and I were talking about her upcoming trip to Europe and a woman stopped us as we were walking into the restaurant and asked us if we were in costume. (S was wearing a bright red dress and cute little red cap, so we were definitely color coordinated). We smiled a bit uncomfortably and said no and she proceeded to tell us that we looked like "Ukrainian Gypsies". We definitely didn't know how to respond to that so we smiled, turned around and walked into the restaurant rolling our eyes a bit! It was very weird!

This was my first real attempt at color blocking, and I am not sure if it was a success after being called a ukrainian gypsy. Maybe my next try will be better:) I thrifted this cute skirt and decided to pair it with my bright orange cardi. Isn't the scallop detail on the skirt so cute? Since it is a lot of bold color, I opted for the white ruffle tank and used bright accessories such as this tribal necklace and multicolored silk scarf to tie the ensemble together. Sunnies were a must that day!

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Elzee

Ruffle Shirt: J.CREW

Sweater: J.CREW

Skirt: Thrifted

Necklace: Forever 21

Scarf: Marshalls

Sunnies: LOFT

Shoes: J.CREW (Sperry Top-Siders)

Have you ever gotten any comments like this about your outfits??

J.CREW Copycat

2011-05-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

This outfit is a total copycat of a J.CREW look from one of their spring catalogues (which I pour over everytime they come). Above is the original look, below is my rendition:

Occasion:

It's no secret that I *LOVE* J.CREW. They are definitely my shopping weakness with their classic styles, cute trends and general preppy feel. Just because I love them doesn't mean my wallet always does, however I am here to tell you that just because an item starts out to expensive for you doesn't mean that you can't own it...eventually. Here are some of my tips to owning expensive brands that you covet (and the way that I acquire ALL of my J.CREW purchases):

1. Sign up for their emails. Retailers often email out coupons for new seasonal items, sales, percentages off full-priced items, etc. J.CREW is no exception.

2. Take advantage of their %-off already reduced items. J.CREW sends out 20-30% off their sale items usually once a month and they always combine that with free shipping if you purchase a certain amount. Tip: Buy that amount especially if you aren't familiar with your size (so that you can get the free shipping) and return whatever doesn't fit in store. You save on shipping and get to choose from a bunch of items that you order and just keep your favs.

3. Go into the store regularly to check the sale rack. Markdowns are taken all the time and the early shopping bird catches the worm...err...great item on sale.

4. If you know that you are going to be a frequent shopper, it pays to get the store credit card. Most stores give a percentage off when you open it and it also accrues points which give you coupons or monetary rewards towards the store. Just make sure you pay it off every month!

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Pink Orchid

Shirt: J.CREW

Skirt: J.CREW

Necklace: Thrifted

Shoes: J.CREW (Sperry Top-Sider)

What looks have you copycatted recently?

Classic Stripes

2011-05-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

I have been wanting a Saint James shirt for a really long time, so when we decided that part of our honeymoon was going to be in Paris, I knew that a classic striped Saint James shirt was going on the top of my shopping list. The boutique was super cute and the sales associate was so nice and patient with me as I tried on shirt after shirt trying to find the perfect fit. It was a great experience (and significantly cheaper than in the U.S.) Now, I know that nautical striped shirts have been everywhere and can be anywhere from super-cheapo to uber-expensive and to be honest, Saint James falls towards the expensive side generally. However, I am a firm believer in 'investment pieces' and spending a bit more on something that will endure and last season after season, year after year. The quality of Saint James shirts are impeccable; the material is substantial, seams are perfect and the fit is spot on. If you are looking for a nautical striped shirt that will stand the test of time, look no further. These iconic shirts are here to stay and made for the long haul! ** Disclaimer: Saint James did not ask me to endorse their brand. I am just truly happy with my purchase.**

I wanted to play up the nautical theme and decided to pair my red and white striped Saint James shirt with this light khaki skirt with cute pocket details. I played up the accessories with a red, white and blue silk scarf, wooden necklace, straw fedora and my gold top-siders. I think everything really compliments each other:)

***Don't forget to enter my Pinterest Giveaway here!!*** Deadline is May 18th!

Outfit:

Shirt: Saint James (Paris)

Skirt: Filene's Basement

Scarf: Marshall's

Hat: Target

Necklace: Thrifted

Shoes: J.CREW (Sperry Top-Siders)

What pieces do you consider to be 'investment pieces'?

Soft Neutrals

2011-05-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

Just a quick post before getting ready for bed. I am loving soft neutrals for spring and this is my interpretation...enjoy!

I paired this cream colored blouse with this blush colored full skirt, soft blush ballet flats, a pretty shell necklace and this straw fedora. I like how it all came together:)

Don't forget to enter my Pinterest giveaway!!!

Outfit:

Cream Undershirt: Elzee

Blouse: GAP

Skirt: J.CREW

Necklace: Gift from mom

Shoes: J.CREW

Hat: J.CREW

How are you wearing neutrals this spring?

Pinterest Giveaway!

2011-05-10T19:22:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

Are y'all ready for my first giveaway??!! I just got an invite to Pinterest. I've been getting tired of saving pictures into a style inspiration folder on my desktop and not being able to see them and use them to create outfits. Pinterest lets you organize all your pics by category and it even keeps track of the original source no matter how many times it is repinned! To sign up for an account, you either have to request an invite and wait FOREVER or have someone directly invite you. Kinda exclusive:(. For those who don't have an account yet, this is your chance to win one!!!! Thanks to Tania and Elaine for the great idea!!! They are also doing a Pinterest giveaway too! Go ahead...enter them all! Hopefully you'll win one of them!

Six readers will win an invite to Pinterest!

Open to everyone and anyone!!! Giveaway will end Wednesday, May 18 at 11:59pm, EST. The winners will be announced on my Blog and Facebook!

Mandatory entries:

Follow my blog with bloglovin'
Follow my blog through Blogger
Leave your email

Bonus entries: Please enter your completed bonus entries in a comment below.

Share this giveaway on Facebook and leave a link(can be done daily)
Post about this giveaway and leave a link (can be done daily)
Like Modestly Fashioned on Facebook
Add my blog to your blogroll

Good Luck!!

Everybody Everywear: Florals!

2011-05-10T16:55:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

This is my first time participating in the Everybody Everywear style challenge! I am really excited. This time the common theme was to wear florals. I'd say that this is pretty appropriate considering it is the beginning of May and everything is starting to bloom. I got this skirt months ago on final sale for $4.00 at the GAP and I haven't worn it yet. Today was the perfect excuse to break out this new skirt and make it work!

I have been seeing a lot of pattern mixing on blogs that I read and I decided that I was going give it a try. I was hesitant at first since I don't pattern mix very often but I like how this came out. I paired the floral skirt with a striped boat neck tee-shirt. The skirt had a matchy matchy tie in the belt loops. I wanted to wear this skinny braided leather belt, so I decided to tie it in a bow as a necklace. To finish off the ensemble, I added cute cream moccasins, a straw cloche (from Paris!) and my aviator sunnies:)

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Pink Orchid

Shirt: J.CREW

Skirt: GAP

Hat: Le Petite Chapeau (Paris)

Shoes: J.CREW

Necklace: Belt tie from skirt

Belt: LOFT

Sunnies: LOFT

How are you wearing your florals for spring?

Daffodils

2011-05-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

Oh HAPPY DAY! Anthropologie just opened up in my local mall!! I am beyond excited! Ok, I confess, I can only afford to shop that sale rack infrequently, but I am gonna get TONS of inspiration just from walking in the store. I await the catalogue eagerly and pour over it over and over again dogearing the pages that I like and want to recreate. The clothes are so beautiful and when we have our forever house, I am definitely going to be going there for home decor inspiration.

This sweater was my amazing Anthro find for the day and at $19.99, it was a totally affordable and amazing purchase! I decided to go with a neutral feel for everything but the skirt. I wanted a bright pop of color and neutral accessories to balance out the brightness. I opted for accessories in the brown family and wore a chunky braided leather belt, cool necklace, fun fedora and these cute beaded sandals.

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Pink Orchid

Sweater: Anthropologie

Skirt: GAP

Belt: J.CREW

Necklace: Thrifted

Fedora: J.CREW

Sandals: DSW

What was your best Anthropologie purchase??

Sunnies

2011-05-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

It was super sunny when I wore this outfit and I was really excited to break out my new aviator sunnies! I wasn't so sure that I could pull off aviators but I think that the are so cute so I decided to just go for it! I hear people say all of the time, "I really like 'X' trend, but I totally can't pull it off." Well, I totally disagree to that statement as a generalization. I believe that if you have confidence you can pull off more than you think. So try out that trend and enjoy:)

I almost always wear my cardigans buttoned but I wanted to try something different and leave it open for this ensemble. I paired the kelly green cardi with my striped tee and flowy black skirt. My rockstar topsiders, a long strand of pearls and my aviators finished off this outfit.

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Pink Orchid

Shirt: J.CREW

Sweater: Banana Republic

Skirt: GAP

Shoes: J.CREW

Necklace: Forever 21

Sunnies: LOFT

What type of sunnies are you rocking this Spring?

Fedora Fever

2011-05-08T13:49:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

One of my BEST friends, E, recently got engaged (MAZAL TOV, E!!!!!) and when she asked me to go wedding dress shopping with her, I was beyond excited! Once she told me that it was a small wedding boutique in Chelsea, I knew that I had to dress up a bit. The only problem was that it was raining cats and dogs that day! My solution...wear a hat! Y'all know me by now...I love hats! Not only because Jewish law dictates that married women should cover their hair/head in some way, shape, or form (a subject of much Jewish debate), but also because I just love hats and I think that they have the innate ability to transform any outfit by adding a bit of pizazz. I like hats in the winter; cute berets and sophisticated wool cloches, but summer hats are by far my fav! Right now if you are in the market for some summer straw hats, be sure to check out J.CREW, F21, H&M or Banana Republic. They all have great hats at different price points for any budget:) I currently have summer hats from all of those places (and a few more!).

I thrifted this skirt and realized that I used to have a similar one, but alas, it had gotten way to big and the time came to part with it. You can understand how happy I was to find the same one in my size while perusing the Goodwill racks one day! I wanted a neutral, tribal feel to this outfit with the accessories, so I decided to build my outfit around its accoutrements. I paired this olive skirt with a black sweater to keep a simple canvas, and then loaded on the additions: a woven leather belt, cool chunky necklace, and this amazing fedora that I adore! I added some leggings since it was wet and chilly out and wore my gold top-siders since I didn't know how much walking I was going to be doing in the city and the shoes are rockstars! Seriously, if you haven't experienced the magic that is Sperry Top-Siders, you are missing out! I just recently purchased a replacement pair for my first ever pair of top-siders. They lasted me 3 great years and I was sad to say goodbye, but excited to welcome another pair into my shoe family:)

Outfit:

Black Undershirt: Pink Orchid

Sweater: GAP

Skirt: Thrifted (GAP)

Leggings: Target

Necklace: Thrifted

Belt: J.CREW

Hat:Banana Republic

Shoes: Sperry

Have you found any great hats this spring? What type of hats are you rocking?

Soft Blush

2011-05-05T19:27:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

Today was gorgeous out! A bit windy, but the sun shined all day which really made me happy. This evening we took Keppie for a nice long walk. It was gorgeous to walk as the sun was setting and we felt relaxed and got to talk and enjoy each others' company. It was lovely. We brought a tennis ball and went into an enclosed area in our neighborhood park and Keppie played fetch for a while. She had a blast and it was really fun watching her run so fast to chase the ball. As we continued our walk, we ran into our friend D and walked with her. I haven't seen D for 3 weeks so we had a lot to catch up on and it was great to spend some time with her!

I have had this sweater in my closet for some time now but I never wore it before. I guess I wasn't sure how to style it. I decided to pair it with the same cream bow-tie shirt as yesterday (gasp! the same shirt 2 days in a row...total cop-out, I know!). I wore a black pencil skirt, my blush ballet flats and my fun chainmail necklace to pull the ensemble together.

Outfit:

Undershirt: Elzee

Bow Shirt: BR Monogram

Sweater: J.CREW

Skirt: GAP

Shoes: J.CREW

Necklace: Gift from D

What do you like to do in the evenings now that the days are getting longer?

Minty Fresh

2011-05-04T18:49:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

Yesterday was my first day back at school in a month! It felt sooooo good to be back. All of the girls asked about my trip and were so excited to see me and I was so happy to see them. We are a very close group of girls since we spend all day together in such a small atmosphere and we have really bonded over the year. We have shared our ups and downs, personal lives, sought advice and been there to support and encourage each other as we grow in our Jewish journey, identity, and textual skills. The year is almost over because we only have a week and a half more of school and I am getting really nostalgic thinking back over the past year. I will miss this group of girls as some of us move on to different places and phases in our lives. Some will be back next year and I am relieved knowing that I will see some familiar faces when school starts back in the fall. I just want to say to R, G, E, S, S, and R that it has been such a pleasure to get to know y'all and learn together this past year. Y'all have all helped to shape my life this year and I couldn't have asked for a better group of girls.

This outfit is actually before all of our trips as I am still getting caught up from previous outfits. I love this mint green sweater and don't wear it enough for how amazing it is. It is such a great cut and super soft. It makes me smile when I wear it. I layered it over a beige shirt with a fantastic bow-tie detail which I let hang out of the V-neck. I kept the rest of the palette muted to really showcase the sweater and wore this tan flowy skirt, a green stone necklace and these super cute blush pink bowtie ballet flats.

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Pink Orchid

Bow Shirt: BR Monogram

Sweater: Banana Republic

Skirt: GAP

Shoes: J.CREW

Necklace: Thrifted

What article of clothing makes you smile and feel super special?

Yay! It's May!

2011-05-02T18:40:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

Hi All! I am finally back from Chicago after Pesach and coordinating and throwing my future-sister-in-law a bridal shower (love you, A!! Soooo happy for you and L!! Mazal tov!!!). My flight today was majorly delayed and after sitting on the runway for several hours and getting home hours after I was supposed to, I am soooo happy to be home with D and Keppie. I really needed some puppy cuddling when I got home; nothing transforms my mood quicker than kisses from the Kepster:) She was sooo happy to see me and I couldn't stop hugging and petting her. I unpacked tonight and tried to tackle the dry cleaning pile...phew, there's a lot of laundry to do! I cooked a nice dinner for D and myself (beef and green bean stir fry...yum!) and then straightened up the house a bit. After almost a month of sleeping in strange beds, I am so excited to sleep in my own super comfy bed:)

I go back to school tomorrow. I am so excited since I missed the whole month of April because of our honeymoon and then Pesach break. We have 2 more weeks and then we are off for the summer. I don't have any concrete plans, but I am totally looking forward to it.

This skirt was given to me by my friend C along with a bag of other things that she didn't want. I really like the lines of the skirt. I feel that an A-line skirt is flattering on most women because it really helps hide wide(r) hips. The attached belt is super cute too. I paired it with a confetti collar white button down and a bright orange cardigan. I liked the bright pop of color on this bright sunny day:) I kept the accessories in the same color scheme and wore an orange geode necklace and an gold and orange cuff bracelet. I finished off the ensemble with my gem studded flats. I felt really confident and loved this outfit!

Outfit:

Shirt: J.CREW

Skirt: Gifted by C

Sweater: J.CREW

Necklace: Forever 21

Bracelet: Thrifted

Shoes: Banana Republic

How were your first few days of May? Any big plans this month?

Green with Stripes

2011-04-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

Hi from the Windy City! D and I are in Chicago for Pesach (Passover) with my in-laws. We've been spending time with family (my nephews, M & A and the cutest little boys ever!!), catching up on sleep and trying to digest all of our matzah (although, I'll be honest...I try to eat as little matzah on Pesach as possible...I eat just enough at the seder to meet the requirement and then thats it for me; bring on the fruits and veggies!).

This outfit is not from Chicago; it's in the 40s here and I had to unpack my tights to come here *not happy*, so here is an outfit from a week or so ago when it was starting to warm up in New Jersey. I got this cardigan last year and really only paired it with solid colors and a very simple pieces. I wanted to branch out and try pairing the kelly green cardi with other colors and patterns. I decided to layer it over my nautical Breton stripe shirt and wear them both with my denim pencil skirt. I wore leggings for some warmth and broke out my oxfords for the first time this season. I finished off the look with a multicolored silk scarf and my cherry red bag.

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Pink Orchid

Striped Shirt: J.CREW

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Skirt: J.Crew

Leggings: Target

Silk Scarf: Elliot Consignment (Banana Republic)

Shoes: Zappos (Steve Madden)

Bag: Longchamp

What are you wearing as the weather warms up? What are you looking forward to wearing?

And We're Off Again!

2011-04-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I have to apologize to all my wonderful readers. April is a crazy month for D and me! We just got back from our honeymoon and tonight we are jet setting off again to Chicago and my in-laws for the Jewish holiday of Pesach (Passover).

On Pesach the Jews commemorate the Exodus from Egypt and are commanded to feel as if they themselves left Egypt. We are commanded not to eat chametz (basically everything with leavening: bread, cereal, crackers, pasta...etc.) and we are commanded to eat matzah (unleavened bread resembling a big cracker).

We begin the holiday of Pesach with a seder on each of the first two nights. During the seder we tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt, remember our history and heritage with ritual and symbolic objects, and eat a festive meal. Pesach has special days called yontif days. These days are similar to Shabbos. Therefore on those yontif days, I will not be posting, as I am not allowed to use a computer as one of the restrictions. During the "less special" days of Pesach, called chol ha'moed, I will try to post as normal. Please bear with me and I assure you all, that once April is over, I will go back to posting almost everyday:)

To all of those celebrating Pesach, have a chag kasher v'sameach (A kosher and joyous holiday)!!! To all of my other readers, have a Happy Easter, and a wonderful beginning of Spring!

~Ally

We're back

2011-04-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

Hi All! Did ya miss me?? If you are just joining me over here at "Modestly Fashioned", husband D, and I just got back from our (belated) honeymoon! We spent 11 days in Paris, London, Bruges and Amsterdam and we had such an amazing time! I will be posting pics and outfit photos from the trip soon...so stay tuned:)

Since we are still sorting through hundreds and hundreds of pictures from our trip, here's an outfit I wore before we left and it was still a bit cooler out. I paired this structured chambray shirt with my dark grey full skirt, and added a fun colorful silk scarf and coordinating turquoise belt to accent the ensemble. I wore my gem studded flats and finished off the look with my bright red bag.

Outfit:

Shirt: J.CREW

Skirt: GAP

Silk Scarf: Talbots

Belt: J.CREW

Leggings: Target

Shoes: Banana Republic

Bag: Longchamp

What did I miss while I was gone? Anything exciting happen to anyone? Fill me in on all the details:)

Tie it with a Bow

2011-03-30T19:10:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

As D and I finish up the last bit of packing, I am trying to squeeze in one or two more outfit posts since I will be taking an 11 day hiatus to backpack through Europe (yay!!! so excited!!!). It isn't real to me yet that we actually leave tomorrow. I don't think it will be real until we land early Friday morning. We have a packed itinerary and we are gonna cram as much as we can into the next 11-12 days. I love you D, and I am so excited to finally go on our long awaited honeymoon! The weather is supposed to be amazing! It'll be a nice break from this 40 degree business as Paris is supposed to be in the 60s and 70s and Amsterdam is supposed to be mid-50s! Woohoo!!

I have had this purple (?) colored shirt in my closet for a few months now, but I wasn't quite sure what to wear with it. The bow detail is super cute and I wanted to find some way to showcase the color of the bow detail. I have the same shirt in black and white and that one was much easier to style (obviously because black and white go with everything) but this interesting purply-grey (is that a color?) version was really puzzling me! I was hanging and reorganizing a bunch of my clothes when I turned over my closet for spring, and I happened to hang it next to this madras print button down shirt and...voila - instant outfit inspiration:)

I didn't really realize this when I put this outfit on, but it became very apparent once I was reviewing the pictures - this shirt is too big and not very flattering and it bunches in weird places when I move. I debated not posting this outfit, but since this is a daily personal style blog and I am a real person who makes mistakes with some outfits, I thought that I should document that not every outfit is a winner or even looks good. It's easy to post the outfits that make us feel confident and secure, but I'm not always confident and secure and that deserves to be documented too. So even though I don't really like the way this outfit fits me, I wore it and I'm gonna suck it up and show it.

I decided to pair the shirts with a navy A-line skirt that had also been languishing in my closet untouched for months. I got this skirt on super final clearance for $3.99 and since I only have black and brown tights (I really need to learn how to branch out into the world of colored tights...o well, maybe next winter) I had to wait until I didn't need tights to wear this skirt. I decided to wear my gemstone studded flats and top the ensemble off with my navy knitted beret. I think it's a good transitional outfit for this cool March weather we've been having...c'mon Spring - HURRY UP!

Outfit:

Shirt: Banana Republic

Button-down: J.CREW

Skirt: GAP

Shoes: Banana Republic

Hat: H&M

How would you wear this shirt? What would you pair it with?

Shabbos Edition: Kentucky Derby

2011-03-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

I recently picked up this hat at J.CREW. They have some amazing summer hats this season and all of them are really reasonably priced. If you are looking for a variety of straw hats with some unique details, I highly recommend that you check out their selection. A friend of mine told me on Shabbos that I looked like I was going to the Kentucky Derby with this hat. I felt really confident in this outfit even though it was a bit out of my personal style comfort zone. I wanted to take a bit of a risk and I did with this ensemble.

This sequin top is really fun and fancy and I was going for a really girly, elegant look and since the weather was bright and sunny, I wanted to bring out the springy items that have been packed away for so many months!

I paired this gold sequin top with a flowy, pleated black skirt and belted it with a black wide patent leather stretchy belt. I added a gold chain geode necklace and some gem studded flats for some added interest. I topped the whole ensemble outfit with this wide brim floppy straw hat:)

Outfit:

Undershirt: Elzee

Shirt: J.CREW

Skirt: Banana Republic

Belt: Ann Taylor

Necklace: Forever 21

Hat: J.CREW

Shoes: Banana Republic

What do you wear when you want to be fancy and flirty? Are you into the wide brim floppy hat for spring?

Nautical Feel

2011-03-29T20:37:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

We are finally getting some sunny days even though it hasn't gotten super warm yet. We took these pictures on Friday afternoon when we took Keppie out for some exercise. She had been a bit cooped up and really needed to get some energy out. She had a blast playing with this stick. She LOVES picking up sticks and is constantly trying to bring them in to our apartment.

I am totally into the nautical/Breton stripe trend and this shirt has such a cute sequin detail:) I paired the shirt with my denim pencil skirt. To add to the nautical feel, I wore this gold chain necklace with ribbon ties. I finished the ensemble with my cognac moccasin booties and this fun two-toned straw fedora.

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Elzee

Shirt: J.CREW

Skirt: J.CREW

Necklace: Banana Republic

Hat: J.CREW

Leggings: Target

Shoes: J.CREW

Are you into the Nautical/Breton stripe trend? How are you wearing the stripes?

Orange & Yellow

2011-03-29T18:39:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

I have some exciting news: D and I leave for our honeymoon on Thursday!!!!! We are going to Paris, Bruges and Amsterdam for 11 days! I haven't really done much travelling before because I've haven't had much of an opportunity. I have gone to Israel twice before and Canada once, but that's it. D has done a ton of travelling and he has made a super detailed itinerary for us to go by. We are spending 6 days in Paris (including a Shabbos), 1 day in Bruges, and 4 days in Amsterdam (including a Shabbos). We are packing really light so that we can bring back plenty of souveniers;) I won't be updating the blog while we are gone since I won't have much internet access so y'all will just have to wait until I get back to see everything! I promise I will share all of my outfits and treasures that we bring back:)

Here is an outfit from last week: I paired this bright goldenrod silk shirt and rust colored sweater together. I really like the colorblocking of these items. Since the top half of my outfit is really bold, I kept it simple with my denim pencil skirt. I finally got to unpack my Sperry Top-siders and I can't wait to wear them all summer (I may or may not have gotten another pair for this summer:). I topped the ensemble off with a patterned silk scarf.

Outfit:

Shirt: GAP

Sweater: J.CREW

Skirt: J.CREW

Shoes: Sperry

Scarf: Marshall's

Where do you want to travel to? What's your dream vacation?

Shabbos Edition: Classic White

2011-03-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

For Shabbos Dinner last week D and I (and Keppie!) went to our friends' C & A's apartment. They just moved in a few weeks ago and their apartment already looks great! They are such great people and we love all of the time we spend with them. Our great friends R & R and their son A were also there and when the 6 of us get together we always have a blast!

I have had this classic 3/4 sleeve wrap blouse in my closet for a while now and I am just never inspired to wear it. For some reason I always feel boring when I put it on, so I decided to jazz it up with the red beaded necklace and the wood/metal combo necklace. I also paired it with this black pencil skirt which is also a really classic cut but is much more interesting because of the cool embroidered hem. These ballet flats are much more comfortable than I thought they would be and they have such a cute gem pattern on them. I am really excited to wear them more come spring-ier weather!

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Elzee

White Shirt: Banana Republic

Skirt: Filene's Basement

Necklaces: Thrifted

Shoes: Banana Republic

How would you wear a classic white shirt to make it less boring?

Chicago Style

2011-03-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

Since I am so far behind in my outfit posts, this is what I wore when we went to Chicago last week to celebrate the birth of my new nephew. It was much colder in Chicago than it was here in NJ/NY...although today was absolutely gross and rainy/snowy! Aside from being cold in Chicago, the weather was nice for our weekend there. Alas, this was the only outfit that I had time to photograph.

I paired this bright golden sweater with a flowy dark charcoal grey flowy skirt, belted it with a skinny brown braided leather belt, matched the belt to my camel colored equestrian boots and added a splash of color with the red beaded necklace. I really liked the result! Sorry for the short post...but it is definitely bed time!! Night night:)

Outfit:

Sweater: J.CREW

Skirt: GAP

Belt: LOFT

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Boots: Banana Republic

Necklace: Thrifted

Glasses: Dolce & Gabbana

Yay! We made it past hump-day...any fun weekend plans?

Two Toned Scarves

2011-03-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

As the weather gets warmer, I am so ready to wear spring-ier clothing! I am a bit behind in posting, so the day I wore this was still a bit chilly. I took a page out of fellow student and friend R's 'fashion arsenal' by wearing these two pink scarves. R wears scarves to school almost daily and always looks effortlessly put together because of them...so thanks for the inspiration, R!

My whole ensemble was built around pairing these scarves together. To add yet a third contrasting color to my top half, I wore this pink sweater. I paired all of the pinks with my denim pencil skirt, wore my cognac moccasin booties and topped the outfit off with a colorful silk scarf.

Outfit:

Sweater: Banana Republic

Skirt: J.CREW

Scarves: H&M

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Silk Scarf: Talbots

Shoes: J.CREW

What are you looking forward to purchasing this spring? What trend are you dying to try?

Kosher Casual - Product Review

2011-03-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

**Disclaimer: Kosher Casual graciously provided me with this skirt for review, however, this review is impartial to the best of my ability**

Occasion:

A few months ago I was contacted by a modest clothing website Kosher Casual offering to give me an item of my choice for a product review. I chose this shiny black stretchy pencil skirt and I have to say, I LOVE it! It is just stretchy enough to be super comfortable, but it is still very fitted and the shiny material makes it a tad bit dressy. The length is great, as it hits just below the knee, but since it has a stretchy waistband, it can be worn shorter or longer depending upon how high you wear the waist. It runs very true to size; I got a large and it fits great. The one downside is that it bunches a bit when walking around my hips, but not too much that it looks noticable. Thanks so much Kosher Casual!!!

For those of you in the greater New York Area, Kosher Casual has a boutique in Teaneck. To make an appointment to visit, call Alene at 201-530-0346. She is wonderful and will spend time helping you pick out the perfect pieces for you to enjoy! For those of you not in the area, go to www.koshercasual.com to order from their online merchandise.

I wore this skirt on one of the first spring days of the year and it was wonderful to be out sans tights! I love when the weather gets warm enough so that I can pack away my tights and go bare legged and this was the first day for that! I paired my skirt with a nude colored cardi with fun yellow buttons. I layered a white ruffled tank underneath for an extra layer since it's not quite warm enough without a few layers. The accessories really bring out this outfit. I wanted to go with a bright color scheme for my accessories and chose a bright pink skinny leather belt, a chunky pink flower necklace and a bright orange and pink silk scarf. I brough out my Sperry top-siders for their springtime debut, but just discovered that I need to get another pair as there are huge cracks in both soles:( Come on spring...get here quicker!!!

Outfit:

Skirt: c/o Kosher Casual

White Undershirt: Elzee

White Tank: J.CREW

Sweater: J.CREW

Necklace: LOFT

Belt: J.CREW

Scarf: Century 21

Shoes: Sperry

Have you had any springy days yet? What did you wear to celebrate?

30 for 30: Outfit 30!!!

2011-03-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

YAY!!!!! I'M DONE!!!! WOOHOO!!! Okay, sorry...I've regained my composure. I am so excited to be finished with the 30 for 30 Winter Challenge. I really enjoyed it, but I was sick of my 30 items and with the warmer weather approaching (yay bare legs!) I really want to pack away my sweaters, tights and boots. I learned a lot about my self, my personal style and even my closet. I think I even remixed more than 30 outfits because there were some days that I just couldn't photograph. But anyways...the challenge is over and I have successfully completed it! Stay tuned for a recap post next:)

For this look I started with my Breton stripe shirt, and layered a navy ruffle sweater over it. I paired them with a denim pencil skirt and UGG boots. I topped everything off with a navy knitted beret, and a red chunky beaded necklace.

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Elzee

Shirt: J.CREW

Sweater: J.CREW

Skirt: J.CREW

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Boots: UGG

Necklace: Thrifted

Hat: H&M

For those of you who completed the challenge...how does it feel? For those of you that didn't...would you consider giving the next round a go?

30 for 30: Outfit 29

2011-03-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

Occasion:

First of all, I want to apologize for my unexpected blogging hiatus. D and I were in Chicago celebrating the birth of our new nephew and neither my in-laws nor my sis-in-law or bro-in-law had wireless (and D needed his computer for work), so I wasn't able to blog like I expected to be able to. But I'm back now:) We had a fabulous time with D's family this past weekend. I spent most of the weekend cooking for my sis and bro-in-law and playing with my older nephew, M, and holding new baby, A. He is super adorable and sooo tiny! Congrats to the proud parents M & D...we love you:)

While we were in Chicago we also got to hang out with friends and see people that we haven't seen in months. On Saturday night D and I went out to eat. We ran into A and her husband "Pinetree". I didn't know this, but A is an avid reader of my blog and surprised me by knowing tons of details about the blog. I promised her I'd give her a shoutout...so "Hi, A...thanks for reading!"

Second exciting thing...I am finally finished with the 30 for 30!!! Yes, I know that this is outfit 29, but outfit 30 has been worn and is in the photo queue...so yay! I am so glad to be done and have my full closet back. I'll do a recap post after outfit 30 is up...so stay tuned!

For this outfit, I went with a classic black and white ensemble and enhanced it with pops of color from the accessories. I layered my black blazer sweater over the black and white paisley print button-down shirt and paired it with my black pencil skirt. I accessorized with a fun gold and red tribal necklace and a cool orange cuff bracelet. I finished off the look with a black beret and my fringy black moccasins.

Outfit:

Black Undershirt: Elzee

Button-down: J.CREW

Sweater: Banana Republic

Skirt: GAP

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Necklace: Forever 21

Bracelet: Thrifted

Hat: H&M

Boots: Zappos (Minnetonka)

What did I miss while being gone? Anything exciting happen in your lives?

30 for 30: Outfit 28

2011-03-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

I can't wait for us to go to Chicago tomorrow to see my new nephew (and my other nephew, brother-in-law and sister-in-law!) We are leaving really early in the morning and are really busy packing right now. I am trying to pack lightly because I never wear everything I bring, but I also like to give myself options.

I am soooo close to finishing 30 for 30! Two more outfits to go and then I get to dive back into my entire closet. In the interest of simplicity, I picked this olive colored sweater, layered it over a white undershirt and paired it with my dark grey flowy skirt. I added a multi-colored silk scarf and a green beaded necklace. I paired the ensemble with my fringy black moccasins.

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Pink Orchid

Sweater: J.CREW

Skirt: GAP

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Scarf: Marshalls

Shoes: Zappos (Minnetonka)

Necklace: Thrifted

Do you overpack? Do you like to have options when you travel?

30 for 30: Outfit 27

2011-03-09T16:57:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

After I got home from school yesterday I did some errands. My Sister-in-law and Brother-in-law just had a baby boy (MAZAL TOV M&D!!!!) and D and I wanted to get them a double stroller as a gift. They have a 15 month old son as well, and they are definitely going to need a way to tote the tots around easily. I ordered it from BuyBuyBaby and they should get it soon! I am so excited for them to be able to use it...and soooo excited about my new nephew:)

In Jewish tradition, when a baby boy is born, he is entered into the covenant with G-d at his Bris Milah which takes place 8 days after the baby is born. The Bris is a joyous event where the baby boy is formally named. We unfortunately weren't able to go to Chicago for my first nephew's Bris, but we already booked plane tickets and are soooo excited to be able to spend Shabbos with my in-laws (and bro/sis-in-law +kids!!!) and then attend the Bris of my second nephew:)

This 30 for 30 definitely has me getting creative. I never would have thought to pair these two shirts together, but when I saw them hanging next to each other in my closet, I was inspired to try it out. I really like the outcome. I think that it is cool that the gingham print from the button down shows through the ruffley pink shirt. I paired the combo with my denim pencil skirt and my UGG boots. I topped the whole ensemble off with a pink beret.

Outfit:

Button-down: J.CREW

Shirt: Ann Taylor

Skirt: J.CREW

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Hat: H&M

Boots: UGG

How was everyone's "hump day"? Any fun weekend plans?

30 for 30: Outfit 26

2011-03-08T18:05:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

It is getting warmer out and I really want to start wearing different clothes, so I am going to try to finish up my 30 for 30 quickly! I am soooo close and am super excited that I am about the complete my first ever 30 for 30 challenge...so bear with me through the next couple of days as I finish up...then Bring it on spring!!

This outfit originally started with just the white chevron pleat button down and the camel colored corduroy skirt, but a second glance into my closet revealed that I had not yet worn this orange cashmere sweater and I wanted to get it in the mix, so I layered it on top. I paired the ensemble with my camel colored equestrian boots and finished it off with a cream beret and a cool chunky necklace.

Outfit:

Shirt: J.CREW

Sweater: J.CREW

Skirt: J.CREW

Tights: DKNY

Shoes: Banana Republic

Necklace: Thrifted

Hat: H&M

If you are doing your own 30 for 30, how's it going? Are you done? What did you get out of it?

30 for 30: Outfit 25

2011-03-07T18:22:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

Yesterday was such a gross, rainy day! D had his LSAT class in the city and I decided to go in and walk around Manhattan. I hadn't seen my best friend E in a few weeks since she was in Israel and I really wanted to hear about her trip. We met up and hung out on the Upper West Side until D was done with his class. Then D and I drove to Crown Heights, Brooklyn to try a new restaurant with our good friends C & E. We had a really nice time at dinner, but the drive home was awful because it was STILL raining! It literally rained ALL day:( The weather was nice and sunny today so I can't really complain anymore:) Here is what I wore while walking around Manhattan for hours.

I have only worn this sweater vest once before in the 30 for 30 and since it was warmer yesterday I wanted to keep the layers light. I layered the periwinkle sweater vest over a black undershirt and paired it with my black pencil skirt. I used a black braided belt to give some waist definition, matched with my black fringy moccasins, and topped everything off with my black beret. To add a fun flair, I added this zebra beaded necklace:)

Outfit:

Undershirt: Pink Orchid

Sweater: Banana Republic

Skirt: GAP

Belt: J.CREW

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Shoes: Zappos (Minnetonka)

Hat: H&M

Necklace: Thrifted

Did you do anything fun over the weekend? Did you have a "case of the mondays"?

30 for 30: Shabbos Edition Outfit 24

2011-03-06T19:58:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

Friday night D and I went to one of our best friend couples Y & A for dinner. They also had over a couple who is new to our community, E & C. We had such a great time! A made amazing food and I made a fun dessert. By 9:30 PM I was exhausted. I was still getting over being sick, so we called it an early night, came home and went to bed.

I love this blouse that I thrifted a couple months ago! It is so versatile...I didn't think that it would integrate as well as it has into my closet, but I have been pleasantly surprised, and I am glad that I decided to add it to my 30 for 30. I wanted to showcase my accessories, so I paired my blouse with a simple black pencil skirt. This belt has such an unexpected fun chain detail and I love how it is so different from all of my other belts. I recently thrifted this necklace and I think it is so cool. There is a lot going on but I think it all works. To keep the neutral theme up, I wore my suede MacAlister booties.

Outfit:

Blouse: Thrifted

Skirt: GAP

Belt: Marshalls

Necklace: Thrifted

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Shoes: J.CREW

Do you have an item in your closet that you thought wouldn't work but has surprised you?

30 for 30: Outfit 23

2011-03-04T12:33:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

Quick post today since I have to go get ready for Shabbos soon! It was really sunny today and the weather had me itching for spring. Here's my in-between-seasons look: I paired my springy Breton stripe shirt with a dark grey flowy skirt and belted it with my gold snake skin leather belt. I added a lightweight cream, blue and red scarf and a navy knitted beret and finished off the look with my UGG boots.

Outfit:

Shirt: J.CREW

Skirt: GAP

Belt: J.CREW

Scarf: H&M

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Boots: UGG

What are your wearing in between seasons?

30 for 30: Outfit 22

2011-03-03T10:11:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

Friends, I have a bit of a confession to make...I wore something not in my 30 for 30!

I did it by accident, I promise!! Let me explain...I've been sick for a few days (I won't get into the details), but the first day I woke up and felt a bit under the weather, I took some sudafed and ibuprofen immediately to help me get through my day so I could make it to school. However, I was in such a haze that morning that when I reached for my 30 for 30 approved boots, I saw these cute little black flats in the back of my closet (that I have never worn before) and thought "Hey, this would look super cute together!" I was too out of it to realize that I was about to wear something that wasn't previously designated for 30 for 30! Please forgive me...I won't do it again:) Also, Kendi, if you could find it in your super fashionable heart to forgive me as well, that would make it all better!

So aside from my little 'indescretion', here's #22! Since I wasn't feeling so hot, I decided to compensate with a 'dressier than normal' outfit. This little black cardi has been a closet staple this winter and I love how it is a bit different than just a plain button down cardi - the cute side zip and cross-over are a bit unexpected:) I paired the cardi with this taupe colored silk blouse and my black pencil skirt. Since the sweater is a bit busy and the blouse has such cute neck details, I simplified my accessories. Just a pretty gold chain necklace and a patterned silk scarf headband. The black flats have cute bead/button detailing that didn't photograph well in this lighting...but I guess that's what I get for wearing items that are not approved!

Outfit:

Sweater: J.CREW

Shirt: Thrifted

Skirt: GAP

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Necklace: Banana Republic

Scarf: Century 21

Shoes: Banana Republic

Have you had any slip-ups in your 30 for 30? Do you over-compensate when you aren't feeling well with a nice outfit?

30 for 30: Outfit 21

2011-03-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

I am home from school sick today (booo gross head cold!). I've been catching up on my blogging, cuddling with the Kepster and watching Friends episodes from our DVR. Since I am definitely not getting dressed for real today, here's an outfit from earlier in the week.

I wore this outfit right before I began the 30 for 30 challenge, and I liked the pieces so much that I added all of them into my items for the 30 for 30. I then subsequently forgot about this outfit combo until a few days ago! Needless to say, I was VERY excited to be able to wear this outfit again...and it meant that I already had a combo picked out...SCORE! The last time I wore this outfit there was a TON of snow on the ground so I wore it with a beret; however I wanted to switch the look up a bit this time:)

I have mentioned before how much I love the navy/camel color scheme and I think it works perfectly here:) I layered my chevron pleated button down under my navy ruffled v-neck sweater and paired them both with my camel colored corduroy skirt. I kept all of the accessories in shades of brown by going with a thick brown leather braided belt, wooden circles necklace and my camel colored equestrian boots (a definite champ of the 30 for 30 so far!). I was getting a bit bored with my knitted berets, so I went with this cool patterned silk scarf tied pirate-style...ahoy matey!

Outfit:

White Button Down: J.CREW

Sweater: J.CREW

Skirt: J.CREW

Belt: J.CREW

Tights: DKNY

Necklace: Thrifted

Boots: Banana Republic

Scarf: Marshalls

What outfits do you get excited to rewear? How do you change them up?

30 for 30: Shabbos Edition - Outfit 20

2011-03-01T19:33:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

2/3 finished with the 30 for 30 challenge!! Yay! I must admit, it is getting much harder not only thinking of new combinations for the 30 pieces, but also because the weather has been a bit nicer and I am ready to dump these winter duds for some springy pieces:)

This past Shabbos D and I had my chevrusa (learning partner) from school, R, come to stay with us. We had a blast:) We hosted both meals at our apartment with our good friends C & E, and new friends S & C for dinner and R & R and their adorable (k"h) son, A for lunch. I absolutely love R and was so thrilled for her to come meet D (since I talk about him all the time to her at school) and my Teaneck friends. We learn all day together at school, puzzling over difficult Hebrew and Aramaic texts, and we have developed a very close friendship. D was also excited to meet R since I talk about her so much to him. It was great to spend time with her outside of our typical school setting. I can only hope that she enjoyed her Shabbos in Teaneck as much as we enjoyed having her and we hope that she will come back soon!

Keppie LOVED R and I think the feeling was mutual:) After we took R home on Saturday night, D and I were cleaning up and a raisin from a shabbos dish fell on the floor so I called Keppie over to eat it and I told her a raisin was on the floor. As soon as I said "raisin" she jumped up from laying on the couch. I don't think she actually knows what a raisin is, so I can only assume she thought I said R's name (yes, her name sounds a bit like raisin!) Keppie was dissappointed when she figured out all I had for her was a shriveled unappetizing morsel on the floor...but then she got over it and ate the raisin.

I wore a similar version of this outfit earlier in the week to a synagogue Sisterhood event, but I didn't get to take pictures, so I rewore it:) I paired this simple black turtleneck with my camel colored corduroy skirt and dressed it up with some neutral accessories. I wore 2 multi-colored necklaces, my brown braided leather belt and my black fringy moccasins.

Outfit:

Black Undershirt: GAP

Sweater: J.CREW

Skirt: J.CREW

Belt: J.CREW

Necklace: Thrifted

Tights: Target

Boots: Zappos (Minnetonka)

Did you do anything exciting this past weekend? Any plans for the upcoming weekend? (Yes, I am already looking forward to the weekend and it's only Tuesday!)

30 for 30: Outfit 19

2011-02-28T19:23:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

Today I completed my first spinning class! It was soooo intense; I felt like quitting multiple times. However, I had D chuggin' along right beside me and with his encouragement I was able to finish. My legs felt like jell-o, my shirt was soaked through and I felt like I was going to pass out, but at the same time I felt amazing and I was/am so proud of myself. Spinning was something that I thought I was bad and therefore I thought I hated it...but I am getting used to it and with the right music it can be really fun (I was totally rocking out to some of the songs...D and I were goofing off and singing along!)

This outfit was one that I had sketched out even before I began the 30 for 30 and I finally got around to wearing it. I layered this polka dot sleeveless blouse over a simple white 3/4 sleeve undershirt and paired it with my black pencil skirt. I have definitely gotten over my fear of black and brown together and went with brown accessories. I am in LOVE with this braided leather belt and have found it super versatile...a definite must when I invest in accessories. I matched my beret to the belt and added this brown wooden necklace. To keep the bottom monochromatic, I wore these fun patterned fishnets and my fringy black moccasins.

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Pink Orchid

Blouse: GAP

Skirt: GAP

Belt: J.CREW

Necklace: Thrifted

Hat: Nordstrom

Tights: Target

Shoes: Zappos (Minnetonka)

What are you proud of yourself for lately? What have you accomplished that you thought you couldn't?

30 for 30: Outfit 18

2011-02-27T16:52:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

I recently started spinning with D at the gym. I am slowly getting into it and now that I have a gel seat for the bike and padded shorts, it is now much more comfortable. Spinning is a VERY intense workout and the second time I did the class, I didn't pace myself and could only make it through the first half hour. D and I are spinning again tomorrow, so hopefully I can pace myself better and be able to make it through the entire class.

The bus that I take from the city back to Teaneck stops right in front of the gym and D meets me there with my gym bag...hence the pictures in the hotel that is connected to the gym. This shirt is really proving to be one of the MVPs of my 30 for 30 so far. I paired it with my dark grey full skirt and belted it with a light pink snakeskin belt to give it more definition. I added a chunky cream colored beaded necklace and my camel colored equestrian boots. A black knitted beret finished off the ensemble.

Outfit:

Cream Undershirt: Elzee

Shirt: GAP

Skirt: GAP

Belt: J.CREW

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Boots: Banana Republic

Necklace: Banana Republic

Hat: H&M

Do you spin? Any advice or tips?

30 for 30: Outfit 17

2011-02-27T13:54:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

Oh Man! This is the first time I've ever posted 3 times in one day...but what can I say? I am so far behind in my posts and I have some free time today (I've already baked banana chocolate chip bread, put away all the china from the weekend, cleaned the bedroom, washed the dishes, ran some errands AND taken Keppie for a walk...all in the time that D has been in the city for his LSAT class). I still need to plan our dinners for the week (I just got 3 new cookbooks...Thanks, D!). I want to try some new recipes. We have recently gotten into the habit of repeating dinners over and over again and we both agree we need some new recipes in our repertoire! I made a bunch of new recipes from the new cookbooks for Shabbos and they were super yummy:)

This outfit started with the accessories. I love teal/turquoise and I wanted to focus an outfit around them. Black and turquoise are such an obvious combo so I decided to add in the long grey cardi and denim pencil skirt to give different colors and textures. I matched my beret to my cardi and since it was super cold the day that I wore this, I reached for my UGG boots which always keep me toasty! Y'all can probably tell by now that I am a big fan of the double belt. Here is no exception. I twisted 2 turquoise belts with different patterns/textures together and I really liked the effect. This necklace is such a great statement piece and the chrome and turquoise fit in just perfectly with the grey sweater and other turquoise accessories. The bracelet finished off the look:)

Outfit:

Turtleneck: J.CREW

Sweater: J.CREW Outlet

Skirt: J.CREW

Leggings: Target

Boots: UGG

Hat: H&M

Necklace: Forever 21

Belts: J.CREW

Bracelet: Gift from Dad

What accessories do you like to build outfits around? Color Schemes?

30 for 30: Outfit 16

2011-02-27T10:47:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

I have had this sweater/blazer in my 30 for 30 since the beginning but I hadn't worn it, so I decided to get creative:) This leopard blouse has been a great remixer in my closet in general so I knew it would be great in my 30 for 30! I wanted to go for a business casual meets after-work-happy-hour look. I paired the structured sweater with this fun patterned blouse and a black pencil skirt for a very office appropriate outfit (even though I am now in school full time and I can dress really casually, I did work in a non-profit development (read: fundraising) environment for 2 years so I still consider outfits that would work in the "real world"). To add some fun details and some interest to this ensemble, I decided to double belt. I paired a gold leather snake-skin with a brown leather braided belt and knotted them in the same way. I finished off the outfit with my camel colored equestrian boots and a cool charm necklace. What do you think?

Outfit:

Black Undershirt: Pink Orchid

Blouse: Target

Sweater: Banana Republic

Skirt: GAP

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Boots: Banana Republic

Belts: (Gold) J.CREW (Brown) LOFT

Necklace: Banana Republic

Do you consider work and 'after work' when you plan outfits?

30 for 30: Shabbos Edition Outfit 15

2011-02-27T08:31:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

Yay!!! Halfway through the challenge!!! I am waaayyy behind in posting! In actuality I am really on outfit 20 or something like that, but I have just been so busy this past week that posting had to take a back seat. But now it's Sunday; D has his LSAT class in the city for several hours so it's me, Keppie, my computer and a dirty apartment. Obviously first things first...I have to start out the morning with a post:)

When I put this outfit on and was in the bathroom putting on some makeup, D asked me oh-so-innocently, "Do you think that matches?" I know that a lot of my friends think that their husbands are useless for opinions on how they look because no matter how they actually look their husbands tell them they look fabulous. Well, D tells me the truth, and as much as I would sometimes like for him to lie to me (read: between when I wake up at 6:15am and when I am dressed and ready to leave the apartment at 7:10am), he has a pretty good fashion sense and I really do like that he is honest enough to give his real opinion.

So...when he asked me if I thought I matched after being really proud of this outfit I was a bit deflated. I wore it anyways, since I didn't have much time before Shabbos started and because I really thought that this outfit worked. I got to synagogue for Friday night services and related the story to one of my best friends, A. She told me not to worry and that the outfit really did work. I felt so much better and regained my boost of confidence. After services, D and I came home and ate a great dinner just the two of us. It was really nice and relaxing, and since it was Shabbos and we couldn't just eat in front of the TV like the rest of the week, we got a chance to really talk to each other since it had been a busy week for both of us.

After dinner we went to a friend's apartment for a big dessert and to celebrate the recent marriage of a couple who just moved into our community. It is traditional to celebrate the week after marriage with groups of friends at meals called Sheva Berachos. To be able to say all of the blessings, Judaism requires that 10 men (a minyan) be present. Since we all live in relatively small apartments, the people organizing the Sheva Berachos decided to have a dessert so that more people could come but one couple wouldn't be responsible for fitting 20+ people around a dinner table. The wife of the new couple recently found out that she needs to eat a gluten free diet, so I made a couple of gluten free desserts so that she could really enjoy her last night of Sheva Berachos. I made a triple chocolate trifle and almond butter mousse...yum!

I got this olive color cross-over sweater on super sale at J.CREW a few weeks before I started the 30 for 30 challenge. The best time to buy quality winter sweaters is at the end of the season as stores are desperately trying to make room for their new spring merchandise. They tend to be drastically reduced and if you go regularly to keep checking out the sale items you can usually wait for the even greater markdowns:) I paired it with this chevron pleat button down top and my camel colored corduroy skirt. This cognac colored leather braided belt, camel colored equestrian boots, and thrifted wooden necklace tie the outfit together. What do you think: a match or a miss?

Outfit:

Sweater: J.CREW

Shirt: J.CREW

Skirt: J.CREW

Tights: DNKY

Necklace: Thrifted

Belt: J.CREW

Boots: Banana Republic

Have you gotten any great 'end-of-season' deals?

30 for 30: Outfit 14

2011-02-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

I had a day off from school today thanks to President's Day, and what better to do with a day off than run around like a chicken with your head cut off doing errands all day!? That's exactly what I did. D made me a HUGE list of things to do last night and today I accomplished all but one of them...it was a tremendously productive day!

And just when we thought we were getting rid of Old Man Winter for good, it had to go an snow again...ugh! I was so excited to see grass, err...mud...err anything other than a dirty white covering. Well that only lasted a few days and now we are back to a (fresh at least) white blanket. Let's hope this groundhog keeps his promise and that this new snow is gone soon.

As I have mentioned previously, one thing that this remix is teaching me is how to remix items past their designated season. Take this blouse for instance. It was a transitional summer-to-fall piece probably meant to be worn with bare legs, strappy sandals and short or a mini skirt. I wanted to add some fun patterned pieces to my 30 for 30 pics and I thought that this blouse was just the item. Now, mid-February, paired with a knee-length skirt, fun fishnets, and my suede MacAlister boots, it fits perfectly into a winter ensemble. A few accessories such a the fun gold charm leather belt and a cool African beaded necklace complete the look.

Outfit:

Black Undershirt: Pink Orchid

Blouse: J.CREW

Skirt: GAP

Belt: J.CREW

Tights: Target

Shoes: J.CREW

Necklace: Kenyan Street Fair Vendor in MD

Did you get more snow? How are you remixing your items past their season?

30 for 30: Outfit 13

2011-02-17T18:57:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

Ya' know those days where you just don't feel confident about how you look and it affects your mood, how you interact with people and generally everything about that day? Yeah, that's how I felt yesterday. This outfit worked in my mind...but once I got dressed yesterday morning I just wasn't happy with the outcome. I really wanted to change, but I didn't feel that I had time, so I just had to suck it up and 'fake-it-til-ya-make-it'. Working out always makes me feel so good afterwards, and yesterday I made it through (almost) a whole 1 hour spinning class. D loves spinning and does it all the time, but I never did it before, mostly 'cause to be perfectly honest, the seat hurts me. I am very sore today, but I really liked it. The time went by fast, the instructor played fun music (a lot of Glee!) and I think that if I get a gel seat for the bike (and maybe wear those padded shorts) that it will be much more comfortable and I'll be able to do it better.

I wanted to layer my chambray shirt under this sweater, and in theory it worked, but both the shirt and sweater are at least a size too big (I can't bear to part with the sweater, and I haven't found a chambray shirt to replace this one yet) and the combo of bagginess just didn't work. I tried to cinch it with a belt to give some waist definition, but since there was so much baggy material, it just ended up bunching on either side of the belt. I paired both of the blue tones with my grey corduroy skirt, grey tights, and my black fringy moccasins and topped it off with a navy knitted beret and a chunky red necklace.

I debated about whether or not to post this outfit, but since I am half way through the 30 for 30 challenge, I didn't want to miss an outfit opportunity. Also, (and the bigger reason I did post) is because it's easy to look at fashion and personal style blogs and think that the women (and men) are all so confident everyday, look fabulous all of the time and love everything that they wear. I wanted to show that it's okay to have an off day. It's okay to be a bit down and have my self confidence waver. I am a real person, and while, for the most part I try to be positive and confident, sometimes I have days when I don't feel good about myself and the way I look. I just have to pick myself up, fake an extra bit of confidence and make the next day better.

Outfit:

Chambray Shirt: J.CREW

Sweater: J.CREW

Belt: GAP

Skirt: J.CREW

Tights: DKNY

Shoes: Zappos (Minnetonka)

Hat: H&M

Necklace: Thrifted

Do you ever have off days where you don't feel confident about what you are wearing? What do you do to combat those feelings?

30 for 30: Outfit 12

2011-02-16T19:56:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

Short post tonight since D and I have to get to bed:) I cheated a bit and wore this outfit twice since the first time I wore it I didn't get to take pictures (since it was on Shabbos - and photos are a no-no). This time I wore it as a weekday outfit to school; a bit dressy, but I really liked the outfit and felt super confident.

I kept it simple with an overall black color scheme (black pencil skirt, assymetrical zip sweater, tights, black fringy moccasins) and paired it with this fun red patterned blouse. I added this chainmail necklace (a great gift from D) to complete the look:)

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Elzee

Blouse: GAP

Sweater: J.CREW

Skirt: GAP

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Boots: Zappos (Minnetonka)

Necklace: Gift from D

For all participating, hows the 30 for 30 going? Is it getting easier/harder?

30 for 30 Shabbos Edition: Outfit 11

2011-02-15T19:35:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

This was my Friday night Shabbos outfit. D and I had our 2 very best couple friends over for dinner, and since I still needed to prepare a bit, I decided to be more casual (since I wasn't going to synagogue services). We had an amazing time laughing and telling stories about our crazy weeks. I even got to sing Y&D's son K to sleep on our couch. It has been a long time since I have sang for anyone (last time I sang was in college at my a capella group's final concert) and singing to him brought back some great memories! Also, K is such a beautiful little boy and to watch him fall asleep as I rubbed his tummy was soooo delicious...Y&D, watch out...I might have to steal him:) I love toddlers; they say the most amazing things. He calls Keppie "Ally Puppy" and tells Y&D that he wants to take a nap with Ally...and of course, I eat it up! I know that he can be a handful for my friends but they are AMAZING parents and I know when the time comes for me and D (G-d willing), Y&D will definitely need to impart some serious wisdom and advice to us!

This outfit is a double dose of ruffle! The white button down has cool 'chevron' style pleats and I think it looked really cool layered under the sea green henley. I paired the tops with my black pencil skirt, fun fishnets, and my black fringy moccasins. I think I achieved exactly what I was going for...casual, simple yet fun, and totally comfortable for a night of good food and hanging out with the best of friends:)

Outfit:

White Button-down: J.CREW

Shirt: LOFT

Skirt: GAP

Tights: Target

Shoes: Zappos (Minnetonka)

What would you wear for a fun night of staying in with friends?

30 for 30: Outfit 10

2011-02-13T16:03:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

Well, I am 1/3 finished with the 30 for 30 challenge and so far it's going well. It has really cut down on the amount of time it takes me to pick out an outfit, but I do miss the rest of my closet...so, I'll be excited when I get to include everything again. I thought that the 'no-shopping' rule would be hard to follow, but I really haven't had any problems with wanting anything so badly lately. I think part of it has to do with the fact that we are taking our honeymoon soon (we are going to be spending 11 days seeing Paris, Brussel, Bruges, Amsterdam and a quick day trip to London) and we are saving up to do some serious shopping abroad!! I have definitely gone into stores...I always walk the city around a bit during my school lunch break, but I have only been window shopping:)

I don't love this outfit, but I think that it was because I was in a bit of a bad mood when D took the pictures and I think it translates into the pictures...owell:( This pink ruffle shirt has gotten too big to wear normally, but if it's tucked in or if something is layered over it, I think it still works. Since this skirt has belt loops and is fuller, it lends itself to shirts being tucked it. I decided to accessorize with shades of brown, so I paired my ensemble with this skinny braided brown belt, cognac wooden necklace and my camel equestrian boots.

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Elzee

Shirt: Ann Taylor

Skirt: GAP

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Necklace: Thrifted

Belt: LOFT

Boots: Banana Republic

Any advice for shopping in any of the countries we are going to?...let me know where I should go!

30 for 30: Outfit 9

2011-02-11T10:39:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

Last night I could not fall asleep. This is evident by my 2AM outfit post...what else was I gonna do while D was snoozing away?:) I was finally able to fall asleep around 3:30...and then my alarm went off at 6:45. I meant to snooze for 10 minutes, but in my hazy state I accidentily turned off my alarm off and woke up again at 9:00...oops! I think my body was telling me that I really needed to sleep more...and I always like to listen when my body tells me to sleep...mmm...I love sleep:)

Well, now that I am up and I woke up too late to attempt to go to school (oops!), I have been super productive cooking and preparing for Shabbos. Already I have made green beans, popcorn cauliflower, coconut lime tart, tri-color garlic roasted potatoes, pesto sauce, bread is rising and fish is in the oven...phew! We are having our best friends over for Shabbos dinner tonight! Shout-out to Y&D and their son K, and Y&A...when we all get together we always have a blast!

This vest is a bit spring-y but I wanted to add it into my 30 for 30 because I wanted to challenge myself to style it for winter. I have been seeing on a bunch of blogs how girls are reworking items for multiple seasons and it really helps to stretch your closet to wear items after their designated season. I am going to start trying to do that more and I think that this periwinkle vest is a great way to start:) This button down has a great ruffle/pleat detail so I decided to layer it underneath my vest. I paired it with my black pencil skirt, wore my black fringy moccasins and completed the ensemble with a long strand of pearls

Outfit:

Vest: Banana Republic

Shirt: J.CREW

Skirt: GAP

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Boots: Zappos (Minnetonka)

Necklace: Forever 21

Do you rework items for different seasons? What are some of your ideas for remixing items for multi-season wear?

30 for 30: Outfit 8

2011-02-10T23:23:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

Well, the clock just struck 2:00 AM...and I can't sleep. D snoring away in our bedroom so not only could I not sleep, I couldn't even hear myself think! What better to do with my time awake than blog? So here goes my attempt at 2AM, utter exhaustion, can't sleep, counting down the hours until I have to wake up post. Please bear with me if it's totally nonsensical, and I promise, the next post I do will be after I have slept and hopefully it will make up for this one:)

I don't know about you, but some days I just feel like a good black-white-grey outfit. I checked weather.com the night before, and it said that it would be raining when I woke up the next morning. Usually on grey, rainy days I opt for colors to brighten my mood, I wasn't so excited about the prospect of waking up to rain and the impending delay it would have on my morning commute into Manhattan. Because of this, I chose a bunch of neutral pieces to pair together. It had the potential to be a pretty boring outfit, but I think I did a pretty good job sprucing it up with accessories:)

I've really been enjoying this cream tunic top. I bought it on super sale at the GAP a few weeks ago; and I had every intention to save it for spring, but it really spoke to me when I was picking out my 30 for 30 pieces, and I am so glad that it did. So far it has really been carrying its weight around here in the challenge! Since I wore it tucked in a few outfits ago, I wanted to wear it untucked so y'all could see it in its tunic-y glory. I wore it over a black pencil skirt and topped it with this fun satin trimmed grey cardigan. The accessories bring the whole ensemble together; the wide belt, fun flower necklace, grey knitted beret, and the black fringy moccasins all work together to finish off the look:)

Outfit:

Cream Undershirt: Elzee

Shirt: GAP

Sweater: J.CREW

Skirt: GAP

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Belt: Ann Taylor

Necklace: Gifted

Hat: H&M

Boots: Zappos (Minnetonka)

What do you do at night when you can't sleep? What do you wear when it's rainy out?

30 for 30: Outfit 7

2011-02-10T16:37:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

Of all of the trends that have been popping up this late winter/early spring, I think that Breton stripes has definite staying power. There is something so classic about primary color striped shirts that I think they will be here for a while. Some people may not think that horizontal stripes are very flattering, but I think that you just need to know how to wear them. If you have a short torso, are well endowed, curvy or petite all over; try to stick to smaller stripes - they won't overwhelm your body as much or draw as much attention to areas that you might want to camaflouge. If you are tall, have a long torso, are generally lean all over, or less curvy; opting for a wider stripe can give the allusion of more curves. The Breton stripe is definitely a trend that everyone can wear, you just have to wear it right:)

I love this interpretation of the classic Breton striped shirt. It's pocket details along with the cuffs give it a lot of personality, and the V-neck actually has a cute hook-and-eye closure, which I opted to leave open. To add some extra warmth to a rather spring-y shirt and because I always like a good layering, I wore mine over my classic chambray button down (also a trend that every woman should have in her fashion arsenal - super easy to style, comfortable and also a trend that is here to stay for a while). Since I am now a serious fashion rule breaker, I paired it with my denim skirt and I really like how all of the blues worked together. To keep the outfit super casual, I wore my UGG boots and decided not to wear any accessories.

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Elzee

Button-down: J.CREW

Shirt: J.CREW

Skirt: J.CREW

Leggings: Target

Shoes: UGG

What spring trends are you excited about? What can you live without? What do you think is here to stay for a while?

30 for 30: Outfit 6

2011-02-08T19:50:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

Over the weekend D and I had a college friend of mine stay with us and his fiancee A stayed with friends of ours. It was really nice to catch up with M and D and I are really excited that he is getting married this summer. Saturday night we all wanted to hang out so we got food and a bunch of other friends came over to watch a movie. It was really nice to have a relaxing evening in. I didn't really care for the movie (Salt) so I made a cake for the Superbowl party and blogged a bit. D made some yummy cocktails and we had a great time.

I love everything about this corduroy skirt: the color, the fit, they way it goes with everything, they way I feel more confident when I wear it. This ensemble just reinforced my love affair with this skirt. I paired it with this cream colored blouse (I think everything looks more polished and put together when you add a bit of "tuckage"); added some contrasting necklaces, a gold belt, and my favorite camel colored equestrian boots...and I LOVED the outcome. So far this is my favorite 30 for 30 outfit:)

Outfit:

Cream Undershirt: Elzee

Shirt: GAP

Skirt: J.CREW

Belt: J.CREW

Necklaces: Thrifted

Tights: Century 21 (DKNY)

Boots: Banana Republic

Do you have an item where you just love everything about it? What do you love?

30 for 30 Shabbos Edition: Outfit 5

2011-02-07T16:49:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

For my Friday night outfit, I wanted to go monochromatic but play with patterns a bit. I am still not brave enough to go crazy with patterns but I definitely stepped outside my usual 'one-patterned-item-per-outfit' box. I think it helps a bit that both of the patterns are circles, just a little bit different from one another.

I recently got this skirt at target. Most of my skirts are solid, and when I want a dose of pattern I reach for a shirt or sweater. I saw this skirt and instantly knew that I wanted to experiment with this simple pattern. I paired the patterned skirt with a simple black turtleneck. I dressed it up with a circle patterned silk scarf, fun fishnets, a thick black belt and a flower beret. These boots were an amazing find for me. They retail for ~$250, but I got them in an online sale where they were marked down to $100 with an extra 30% off...such a steal for gorgeous leather boots!

That is definitely a trick of mine that everyone should know: quality items don't have to break the bank. Here are some tips:

*Sign up for emails from stores you like to shop at so you will know when stuff goes on sale. Sometimes they have online specials for people who are on their listserve.

*Shop often. No, you don't always have to buy stuff, but if you are eyeing a certain item, go in the store every few days to see when/if it gets marked down.

*Shop off-season. They best time to get great deals on boots/coats/cashmere is during the spring when stores are trying desperately to get rid of winter merchandise to make room for the new seasonal merchandise. Conversely, the best time to get great summer/transitional fall clothing is at the beginning of winter as the stores clear out their warm weather items.

I hope these tips help:)

Outfit:

Black Undershirt: GAP

Sweater: J.CREW

Skirt: Target

Belt: Ann Taylor

Tights: Target

Silk Scarf: Century 21

Boots: J.CREW

Hat: Nordstrom

What are your tips for getting great deals?

30 for 30 Outfit 4

2011-02-05T21:01:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

I have to say, as of right now, I am really enjoying the 30 for 30 challenge! Kendi's resource guide has been a great help and I especially like the worksheet pages which help you figure out outfits by day, activities, etc. I printed out a ton of these pages and have sketched out more than 30 outfits so even if I try a possible combo and it doesn't work out, I still have plenty to fall back on. I am feeling good about this challenge so far but this is only my first week (even though this is only outfit 4 on here, I have worn 7 outfits already...I'm a bit behind in posting).

This was my outfit for school on Friday. I usually try to be much more casual on Fridays, but this outfit really spoke to me and I was itching to wear it:) I thrifted this blouse at Goodwill a few weeks ago. It was such a great find; I love the cut, the buttons up the back, the bow detail at the neck, and lastly and best of all it is 100% silk and great quality...score! I normally prefer to pair a looser top with a sleeker bottom, but I really like the contrast of the billowy top tucked into the looser fitted skirt. I belted it to add some definition to my waist and to provide some contrasting color. I love this necklace, but I rarely wear it because it's such a bold statement necklace that it usually overwhelms the entire outfit. However, because the shirt is such a muddy color, I decided to match this necklace with my turquoise skinny patent leather belt. I completed the ensemble with my black moccasins and a black beret.

Outfit:

Blouse: Thrifted

Skirt: GAP

Belt: J.CREW

Necklace: LOFT

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Boots: Zappos (Minnetonka)

Hat: H&M

Are you participating in the 30 for 30? How's it going?

30 for 30: Outfit 3

2011-02-04T11:35:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

I was planning on wearing this outfit to school on Tuesday, but with this crazy weather throwing my bus route into the city all out of whack, It hung on my outfit hook, lonely, with no one to wear it for 2 days. "What's an outfit hook?", you ask...well it's one of those 3M white hooks with the sticky tape to stick it to the wall (which, despite being pretty straight forward, D managed to hang up wrong!) I put it up next to our wardrobe until in our bedroom, and every night before I go to sleep, I pick out all of the components of my next day's outfit and I hang them up so that they are waiting for me every morning. It makes getting dressed in the morning so easy and gives me more time to sleep in. I used to wake up every morning and stand in front of my closet (in the dark, since D wakes up later than me) trying to figure out what to wear, all the while trying to distinguish colors in the dark. If you don't have an outfit hook (or outfit chair, outfit desk; really anything will work), you need to get one! You'll thank me once you see how wonderful they are and how they can change your life (well, your morning routine...'life' might be a tad dramatic:)

I really love this navy sweater with chiffon flower petals around the neckline, but it has hung in my closet all winter without being worn once. I decided to show it a little love and add it into my 30 for 30...we'll see how it stacks up! I got this polka dot sleeveless blouse at the GAP on final sale for $4.97 and so far it has been worth every penny. Since it is sleeveless, I knew that I wanted to layer it under a sweater until it gets warm enough out to just wear an undershirt underneath it. It has a cute neckline ruffle and bow and I thought it would go great with the chiffon flowers of the sweater. Because the necklines are so busy, I decided not to wear a necklace. Navy and camel happen to be one of my favorite color combos, so I naturally reached for my camel colored corduroy skirt and camel equestrain boots. For some extra interest I added this chunky leather braided belt. My navy knitted beret finished off the ensemble. Voila!

Outfit:

White Undershirt: Elzee

Shirt: GAP

Sweater: J.CREW

Skirt: J.CREW

Tights: Century 21 (DKNY)

Boots: Banana Republic

Belt: J.CREW

Hat: H&M

Do you have any fun, useful techniques to help you get dressed? If so, I'd love to hear them!

30 for 30: Outfit 2

2011-02-03T18:34:00.000-08:00

Occasion"

This will be a short post seeing as how D and I need to clean up the apartment because we are having one of my college friends stay with us for Shabbos, I need to make a dessert for lunch on Shabbos (Thanks for hosting us S&T!), and I want to get to bed at a reasonable hour. After being stuck inside because of the snow and ice for 2 days, last night D and I decided that we needed to get out; even if our idea of "getting out" was to go grocery shopping at Shoprite. Don't judge. And yes, I did get dressed for the first time yesterday at approximately 7PM. Wait, I thought we had a deal...you weren't gonna judge me! Okay, maybe just a bit...I judge me a little... .

I really like this long sleeve T-shirt that I got on super-d-duper sale at the LOFT (we're talking $8!). It's a great alternative when all I really want to wear is one of D's oversize shirts, but I feel like I should look more presentable. The overlapping pieces on the front add a ton of interest to what would be a boring shirt...but instead it's pretty cool:) Talk about great deals...this skirt was on final sale at the GAP for a grand total of $3.97! It's like they paid me to take it off their hands...well not really, but you get the idea:) I added a turquoise skinny patent leather belt, a fun black, grey and white scarf, and a great flower detail beret. I finished off the ensemble with my toasty warm UGGs and we braved the elements to go food shopping.

Outfit:

Shirt: LOFT

Skirt: GAP

Belt: J.CREW

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Scarf: H&M

Hat: Nordstrom

Boots: UGG

What do you put on when all you really want to wear is PJs?

Kickin' Off the 30 for 30: Outfit 1!

2011-02-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

When I walked into school yesterday (yes, I started the 30 for 30 a day early...I am just so excited!) my classmate told me that I looked like a "hot librarian with a Yeminite flair". The Yeminite part really only referred to my necklace...but I'll take the compliment...thanks E! (The glasses really weren't intentional, but when I went to put in my contact lenses yesterday morning, my eyes revolted and told me that they needed a break...hence the librarian look.)

I wanted to start out the 30 for 30 challenge with a simple outfit and build up to wearing more creative outfits once I get the hang of this whole remixing thing. I chose some of the more conservative pieces to being with. My black turtleneck paired so nicely with my grey corduroy skirt. Since the outfit started out as a blank canvas, I wanted the accessories to really shine. The necklace was a recent purchase at Forever 21 and at $7.50 it was a great deal! I don't tend to love clothes from Forever 21 since they tend to be lesser quality and fall apart quickly, but their accessories are a really affordable price and look much more expensive then they really are. Also, since accessories tend to get less wear and tear than clothes (they aren't washed and dried, dry cleaned, etc.) even the cheaper ones hold up well. I prefer to spend more on quality clothes items and keep it reasonable with trendy 'statement' necklaces. You never know how long they'll be 'in'...so there really isn't much point in investing in pricey pieces (that's just my humble opinion).

I really love the look of the double belting technique that I saw in the J.CREW catalogue many months ago. I have since duplicated the look with multiple belts and numerous outfits. For this outfit, I paired a skinny black patent leather belt and a skinny leather snakeskin belt in mint green. It looks complicated, but all you do is twist them in the back a few times and belt them into each other in the front. It's a simple techinque that looks really fancy and interesting:)

I added a bit more interest with my patterned fishnets. You might have noticed that I've been wearing these a lot lately. I am not really into the colored tights look...to be honest, I just am not brave enough to try to pull them off. However, I really do like the look of fun fishnets. I think they are much more wearable for someone who is experimenting with more interesting tights, but maybe isn't ready to take the plunge into wild colors...maybe I'll get over my fear soon and try a pair of colored tights, but for now I'll stick with the fishnets:) Lastly, I topped my ensemble off with my grey knitted beret and my black fringy moccasins.
Here's to the 30 for 30!

Are you participating in the 30 for 30? Be sure to leave me a link so I can check out everyone's fabulous remixing skills:)

Goodbye Full Closet...

2011-01-31T19:05:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

This is my last outfit post before I participate in Kendi's 30 for 30 Challenge. I am excited and a bit nervous and I have already written out a bunch of possible outfits to help me with my remixing:) I will miss the rest of my closet while I do this challenge, but the goal is to be able to appreciate my full closet when the challenge is complete.

Here is another Shabbos outfit from last Friday night. If you missed my first Shabbos post, you can find it here with an explanation of Shabbos and how we celebrate. As I said there, I am trying to document my Shabbos ensembles since dressing up in our finest clothes and looking all fancy-schmancy is one of the ways we, as Jews, honor the Sabbath.

I got this sequin tank from the LOFT on super sale...we're talkin', like, $10...SCORE! Since it's pretty flashy, I knew that I wanted to go with black for the rest of the outfit. I paired it with my shiny black pencil skirt and asymmetrical zipper sweater. To bring out the sparkly nature of the sequins, I wore a gold chain necklace and paired the outfit with some patterned fishnets Lastly, to add a bit of casual-ness (yes, I am aware that is not a word...I really like making up new words and trying to pass them off as real:)), I wore my (LOVE them) suede McAlister wedge booties.

Outfit:

Black Undershirt: Elzee

Tank: LOFT

Sweater: J.CREW

Skirt: c/o Kosher Casual

Tights: Target

Necklace: Banana Republic

Shoes: J.CREW

What's your favorite dress up outfit? Does your personal style change when you dress up?

30 x 30 Challenge!

2011-01-30T17:58:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

I have decided, after a lot of wavering back and forth, to participate in Kendi's 30 x 30 challenge. I am very nervous that I won't be creative enough to remix the items I picked out in new and interesting ways but I am darn well going to try! I tried to pick out items that lent themselves well to mixing and matching and I am already planning ideas in my head (and writing as many of them as I can think of on paper).

This is my first time participating in a challenge since I joined the personal style blogosphere in July 2010. I am excited about finally feeling (somewhat) ready to join seasoned bloggers and newbies (like myself) alike in a challenge that I think we all can learn a great deal from. I know that all too often I stand in front of my closet (which most people would consider 'bursting at the seams', and feel like I have nothing to wear.

My goals for this challenge are:

1) To really get to know my closet and learn how to work with it to constantly make it seem fresh and new.

2) To be more creative with my choices of mixing and matching and try combinations that I never would have originally thought of.

3) To learn what my closet needs (not just what's on sale or super cute at the moment) and reevaluate if future purchases are worth it, or if they are just an impulse at the time.

4) Lastly, I want to continue to evolve my personal style and better understand how to express it with what I already own.

Here's How It Works:

* Pick 30 items (excluding coats and accessories) - that means everything else is included: skirts, shirts, sweaters, jackets, shoes, pants (well not for me!)

* Remix 30 different outfits with only these aforementioned 30 items (plus all of the accessories that you want)

*Try to do this in (approx.) 30 days.

*NO SHOPPING for the duration of the challege!

Wish me Luck!!!

And...Here are the 30 x 30 contenders:
Outfit:

5 Sweaters ( J.CREW, J.CREW, J.CREW, J.CREW, J.CREW Outlet)

5 Patterned Tops (J.CREW, J.CREW, GAP, Target, J.CREW)

8 Solid Tops (GAP, Ann Taylor, J.CREW, J.CREW, Banana Republic, LOFT, Thrifted, J.CREW)

1 Jacket (Banana Republic)

7 Skirts (Target, GAP, Thrifted (J.CREW), J.CREW, J.CREW, GAP, J.CREW)

4 Pairs of Shoes (J.CREW, Minnetonka, UGG, Banana Republic)

To everyone participating in the 30 x 30: Good Luck and Happy Remixing!!

Hat Tip!

2011-01-28T10:12:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

One of the best things about being part of the personal style blogosphere is all of the great inspiration that we can get from each other! Whether we get ideas of how to pair certain pieces in our closet with other pieces that we never would have thought of ourselves, to putting our own spin on an outfit that we saw and love on another blogger, the inspiration is endless. Recently Kendi talked about having a folder on her desktop where she puts photos that inspire her so that she can recreate outfits that she sees, and I just loved the idea! I started doing that myself and this is the first outfit that I have recreated. This ensemble is a hat tip to the lovely (and modest!) Elaine. Elaine has such amazing style, is totally gorgeous and is such a personal role model of mine as a modest fashion blogger...i may or may not have a bit of a girl crush (shh...don't tell D!):)

I love the simplicity of the chambray shirt with a simple black skirt. I wanted a splash of color and since I don't have any cute hoodies like Elaine (mine are all huge, shapeless and an assortment of weird colors...the type of hoodie only meant to be worn around the house) I decided to add a colorful turquiose skinny patent leather belt. I completed the look with black accessories: fringed moccasins, knit beret, fabric flower necklace and a chunky beaded bracelet.

Outfit:

Shirt: J.CREW

Skirt: GAP

Belt: J.CREW

Necklace: Gift from R

Hat: H&M

Shoes: Zappos (Minnetonka)

Bracelet: ??

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Who do you get style inspiration from? Do you recreate outfits that you see and love?

Take Two

2011-01-27T18:34:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

Confessions of a fashion blogger: I actually wore this exact outfit while D and I were on our ski vacation over Christmas weekend, but for the life of me, I can't find the pictures that D took anywhere on my camera or in my iPhoto library. So I ask you dear readers: if a style blogger wears an outfit, and no one sees it (except the people I met that weekend, who I may or may not ever see again - and D), does it really count?? Isn't that what style blogging is about - documenting daily outfits for the world to see? So you see, really I had no choice but to rewear the exact same outfit:)

Rewearing this actually worked out perfectly because as soon as I put this outfit on the first time, I LOVED it! I really like the look of the patterned button-down underneath the sweater. The sweater is just sheer enough to show through a bit - which I think is pretty cool:) I paired the shirt/sweater combo with my favorite denim pencil skirt. The accessories finish off the outfit - a matching pink beret, camel colored equestrian boots and a wooden circles necklace all complete the ensemble.

Outfit:

Shirt: J.CREW

Sweater: J.CREW

Skirt: J.CREW

Hat: H&M

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Boots: Banana Republic

Necklace: Thrifted

Do you ever rewear outfits because no one sees them? Do you wear the outfit the exact same way as the first time?

Shabbos Finest

2011-01-21T11:19:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

Many of you may have noticed that I never post Friday night or until after dark on Saturday night. As an Orthodox Jew, I observe the Sabbath, or as most Jews of Eastern European descent call it, Shabbos. In the Torah (5 Books of Moses), it is described in Genesis that G-d created the world for six days, and on the seventh day, he rested. Since on the Hebrew calendar, the day begins at night, Shabbos starts sundown Friday night and lasts 25 hours, until an hour after sundown Saturday night. In order to sanctify the day on which G-d rested, Jews also "rest".

We have specific positive and negative commandments (restricitions) that we are required to follow. Most of the postitive commandments involve remembering and guarding Shabbos, keeping it holy, and making it separate and special from the rest of the week. Women light special Shabbos candles and we make special blessings over wine and bread. We eat big festive meals with friends and family, attend synagogue services and generally relax and recharge from a long, hectic week.

The negative commandments are a bit more complicated. They all derive origin from actions that were taken to complete the Tabernacle in the desert. Such actions include writing, making fires and building. Our Rabbinic tradition has broadened the scope of the actions to safeguard people from possibly transgressing and has reinterpreted them as generations have lapsed. In today's day and age, on Shabbos, we refrain from using electricity (i.e computer, cell phones, tv, turning off and on lights, cooking, etc.) We make all of our food preparations before hand leave lights on that we may want while turning everything else off for the 25 hour period. We are not allowed to drive anywhere, nor are we allowed to take any form of transportation. We must use stairs, refrain from writing, listening to music, etc.

It is a time to step back from all of the distractions of the week and our normal busy lives, and spend time with family and friends all while keeping in mind the sanctity and holiness of the day. For many, it is the only opportunity during the week to socialize and not have to worry about what has to get done and the stress of normal daily life. It is a time to reflect on the awesomeness of G-d and we let his spiritual presence surround us.

On of the ways that we honor G-d is by dressing in our nicest clothes. Since the restrictions of Shabbos do not allow us to take pictures I never get to post my Shabbos clothes. However, last week I was actually ready before the Shabbos officially began and decided to get some shots of my Shabbos finest:) I just got this silver skirt and black bow detail shirt. Gap and Banana Republic were both having major sales on their clearance merchandise and I was able to snag this skirt for $4 at the Gap and the shirt for $11 at Banana Republic...SCORE!! The shirt is jerseyish material, so it's actually pretty casual. I knew that I wanted to dress it up, so I layered it over a confettt-detailed white button down. Tucking shirts in always adds instant polish, so I went ahead and tucked...I also like how you get to see the cute ribbon detail on the waist when the shirt is tucked in:) I recently saw this hat at Forever 21 and fell in love with it. Also, since I never get to post my Shabbos outfits, y'all never see my fancy hats...like this one! Since I was feeling a bit funky, I wanted to wear my pretty patterned fishnets and finished off the look with a long strand of pearls and my suede Mary Jane heels.

Shabbos will be starting this week in a few hours. I am hoping that I will have time beforehand to take pics... I like sharing my Shabbos finest with y'all:)

To my fellow Jews, A Gut Shabbos (Good Shabbos, in Yiddish) and to everyone else, have a fabulous restful, relaxing weekend!

What do you wear when you dress up for a holiday or a special occasion?

Lovely Leopard

2011-01-15T20:25:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

I've had this sweater for years and it is one of my favorite pattern pieces. I definitely tend to gravitate towards solids, so I've been trying to step out of my fashion comfort zone and wear different patterns and mix and match patterns that I never would've put together. That's one of my favorite aspects of being part of the personal style blogosphere...I get so much inspiration from everyone! I love to see what others put together and how I can reinvent it to work for myself with what I've got in my own closet. There are endless combinations in my closet and I just need to learn how to harness all of the potential and make it work for me:)

I did a bunch of things with this outfit that I normally wouldn't have done. I wore a black undershirt and hat with a brown corduroy skirt. The only reason that I think that it actually works is because the leopard print cardigan has both black and brown tones in it. I am really breaking the rules...go me! The sweater also has these fun plastic gems sewn on...it really makes the cardi a bit fancier and also eliminates the need for a necklace or any other accessory. I opted for brown tights and since there is still a foot of snow on the ground here I wore my UGGs to keep my toes toasty:)

Outfit:

Sweater: Marshall's (Kenar)

Undershirt: Elzee

Skirt: J.CREW

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Hat: H&M

Shoes: UGG

What do you do to break the rules or step outside your normal comfort zone??

Double Belt It

2011-01-13T18:31:00.000-08:00

Occasion:

This chambray shirt was one of the best fall-into-winter-definitely-into-spring-and-beyond purchases that I have ever made. My only complaint is that since I've lost so much weight, its kinda big and either has to be worn belted or with something over it to reign it in...but that's the best kinda complaint, right?! When I first got it I didn't think that I could wear it "Southern Tuxedo" style...you know, denim on denim (totally not ok usually...) but I have since changed my mind. I think it has to do with the washes of the denim. The skirt's dark wash is a good balance for the medium-light wash of the chambray. Anyways, I think it works...thoughts?

So...back to the belting. I saw this double belting look in one of the J.CREW fall catalogues and immediatley LOVED it. It looks complicated but it's actually really easy. I twisted the belts in the back and belted the pink end into the green buckle and vice versa. My pink beret matched the pink belt perfectly and you know me...I love matchy matchy! Hmm, maybe I love it too much...I think that I need to work on that for the new year, breaking out of my matchy matchy shell and mixing it up a bit more.

Outfit:

Button-down: J.CREW

Skirt: J.CREW

Hat: H&M

Belts: J.CREW

Tights: Century 21 (Hue)

Shoes: UGG