Extend Your Wardrobe – Wear One Romper Four Ways
Happy Friday!
The best investment pieces to own in your wardrobe are those that allow you to wear them in multiple ways. Not only does it extend the life and wearability of your wardrobe but your cost per wear will be pennies. Cost per wear (cost of item/days of wear) is a formula many images consultants use with their clients to help them look beyond the ticket price to determine the value of an item to be purchased. When you buy something that can be worn in a variety of ways you’ll increase the value of the item and decrease the cost per wear.
Today I’m showcasing a super cute, comfy, roomy, and stylish romper from Spoiled.com Boutique. It’s perfect for the summer and stylish enough to be dressed up or down. I’m sharing a few ways you can wear the Sivana romper, depending upon the occasion or your mood. I absolutely love the color and the breathable cotton is great for hot summer days. I’m wearing a size large (I usually wear an 18/20) so you can see it’s very roomy. I could literally wear this romper every day this summer…it’s that fabulous.
Everyday Wear
Denim Jacket // Romper c/o // Necklace // Earrings // Havaianas // Sunnies
Sunday Brunch
Jacket (similar) // Shoes // Sunnies // Necklace // Earrings // Ring // Clutch
Picnic in the Park
Fedora // Necklace // Earrings // Sandals
Shopping With Your Girls
*Vest // Bag // Sunnies // Necklace // Earrings // Bracelets 1, 2, 3 // Rings 1, 2
* The vest is a scarf (watch this tutorial on how to do this). It’s a great way to extend your wardrobe and make use of your scarves all season long!
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Before you add a new piece to your closet consider if it’s something that you’ll wear more than once and if it can be worn in multiple ways. Also think about how you can repurpose already existing pieces in your wardrobe like your scarves, skirts, and shirts.
Spoiled.com Boutique is an online boutique that specializes in unique one-of-a-kind pieces of clothing at very affordable prices. I love the variety of styles, selections, and sizes available ensuring that there’s truly something for everyone. Be sure to find them on Facebook and Instagram.
Have a GREAT Weekend!
Live, laugh, shine!
Carol 😉
Sharing is Caring! ❤
School Days
K&R Collection: Necklace // Cuff // Ring // Midi-Ring // Earrings
Shoes: Franco Sarto
Happy Thursday!
Today I’m channeling my inner school girl. Having spent my primary and secondary educational years in Catholic schools, I’m intimately familiar with school uniforms. Personally, I’m an advocate for uniforms for every school because I think it levels the playing field and keeps kids focused on their education, as opposed to what they or others are wearing.
This top was reminiscent of my school girl days so I continued the look with a top bun and kept my glasses on (yes I wear glasses). Ankle pants, cute flat sandals, and simply, but statement making, jewelry completes the look. Clean, comfortable, casual, and chic. From a style and fit perspective, the A-Line silhouette is perfect for a pear/triangle shape and the outfit overall has water and wood energy from a Fashion Feng Shui perspective. Black is one of the colors I can wear well, which is why I wear a lot of it, but the top does come in other colors that may suit your coloring better.
I was recently introduced to this online retailer New Look. Their prices are reasonable but delivery takes some time. I’d also order up a size in their clothing. Also, if you find the sisters (Poly and Ester) irritating to the skin, watch the descriptions because there’s a lot polyester pieces. New Look is a South African, global fashion retailer with a chain of UK high street shops. It was formerly British owned until May 2015 when the company was sold to a South African investment company.
Live, laugh, shine!
Carol 😉
Sharing is Caring! ❤
Don’t Declutter Your Space Until You’ve Completed This Important Step
Dress: Kiyonna (old – similar) // Shoes: Style & Co. // Jewelry: Silpada // Scarves: Lane Bryant (similar) & Nordstrom (similar)
I spent the Memorial Day Weekend decluttering my garage. Along with my husband, we spent four solid days filling a 12 x 8 foot storage POD with the primary purpose of getting our cars back in there. However, while we were at it, I suggested we continue on through our house and purge the unfathomable amount of stuff we had just lying around. Admittedly most of the stuff was mine and the work was exhausting but in the end, the reward of a clean and organized space was worth it. While we were working my husband asked me, “Why did you hang on to all of this stuff for so long?” An innocent enough question, but one that I could not stop asking myself, “Why did I hang on to all of that stuff.”
When I first started writing this post I was going to provide a few tips and ideas on how to de-clutter your space (having mastered the process this weekend), but instead I decided to share why I had all of the clutter in the first place. You see, I often go through these cycles of purge, clean, organize only to find myself right back in the same spot. After some self-reflection I noticed there are three things I usually do:
a. I watch things begin to pile up, usually after I’ve completed a project, and make a mental note that it needs to be cleaned up and/or organized, but instead I usually opt to do something else and simply move it to the side.
b. I tend to be one of those “just in case” shoppers that will pick things up that I may not need immediately (or at all) but “just in case” a situation arises where the use for such an item is necessitated, I’ll be at the ready.
c. I hold on to things (articles, books, newsletters, etc.) “just in case” I may need to refer to them again later.
Despite each of these actions and the ideology behind them, what remained true was my feeling of freedom and joy when I’ve finally rid myself of all of the clutter and “just in case” remnants. A good sign, but I still never truly examined the why behind it all. After talking about this with a colleague it clicked. At a point in my childhood I went from living in plenty to living in want, and as a result I hold on to things to avoid that feeling. That’s my why.
When I was about 12 my parents divorced and we moved from a well-to-do suburb in the Bay Area of California to a not-so-great neighborhood in the city of Chicago. We moved from a house to an apartment, went from having cars to taking the bus, from washing our cloths at home to using a laundromat, and from having enough to having a few things. It was a shocking experience for me at the time but not an uncommon one for women and their children in the early 1970s that went from homemaker to breadwinner. I am by no means saddened by the experiences of my childhood because I believe it fueled me to achieve the many things I have in my life. I’m also grateful to my mother, who despite her surrounding circumstances, provided me with a wealth of life lessons I still apply to this day. Since then, however, I’ve over corrected by accumulating more than I need to avoid the feeling of “not having enough.”
For those of us who tend to create these cluttered spaces, understanding your why is the first and most important step to your decluttering process. Living in a cluttered space can not only impact your productivity but also your health. There’s even a book out now that explains how clutter can impact your weight.
You’ve heard the phrase, “physician heal thyself?” Or another common phrase, “those who can, do and those who can’t, teach?” Well finally the practitioner is equipped with the knowledge to practice what she preaches. Decluttering is the final step of a long process, not the beginning. I’ve helped several women declutter their closets and get down to a wardrobe that reflects their authentic self, but it always started with an understanding of how they got there. Without that understanding the purge, clean, organize cycle simply get’s reset and starts anew. This can be avoided by having a heart to heart and confronting some challenging issues in your life.
If you feel great and renewed after you’ve decluttered and rid yourself of items that are no longer serving you in your life, you’re on a good path and quite possibly have some understanding of your why. If, however, you don’t feel energized, miss your items, and find yourself immediately taking back or adding more after you’ve decluttered, then you may want to consider that you’ve not tapped into your why and skipped this all important step. Admittedly this is the hard part and takes some self-reflective work. But isn’t it better than the alternative?
Do you need a closet cleanse, detox, or declutter? Check out my website to schedule a free consultation. It’s a great step in the right direction.
Live, laugh, shine!
Carol 😉
Sharing is Caring! ❤
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Photo: Lydene Robertson | Makeup: GLAMBeauty bar
Shop Your Closet – 5 Tips on How to Make Everything Old New Again
Jumpsuit (old) / Flip Flops / Necklace 1, 2 / Earrings / Bracelets 1, 2, 3 / Rings 1, 2
Happy Tuesday!
I hope you all had a great 3-day weekend! I know for many it was a time of remembrance, family, and fun barbecues. I, on the other hand, spent the weekend de-cluttering and purging stuff, which I’ll share more about that with you tomorrow.
Like any girl I love a new outfit. However, sometimes in the quest for that new dress, skirt, or blouse we forget about those fabulous finds already in our closet. They’ve kind of lost their sparkle and “new car smell” even though they remain functional and stylish. Now I’m not talking about those pieces that you have kept for sentimental reasons, or with the hope that you’ll fit it again, or that are no longer (and quit possible never will be) in style. I’m talking about those gems that have served you well in the past yet haven’t had any playtime recently.
I got this jumpsuit about 20 years ago at a cute little boutique in Maryland, well before it was in style, but I’m glad I held on to it. It’s linen, can be dressed up and down, and easily transition from winter (with boots and a sweater) to summer. The palazzo styling is back on trend and of course black is my color of choice. As a side note, palazzo pants are a tricky fit for a petite frame because the wide legs can make you look a little stumpy. That doesn’t mean you can’t rock the look, just means you have to search for a pair where the legs aren’t too wide and the fit is appropriate for your frame.
If you want to revitalize your wardrobe and make everything old new again, here are five (5) tips on how to shop your closet.
1. Clean Out and De-Clutter Your Closet – It’s hard to find those gems if you can see where they are. Go through and get rid of what doesn’t work and then clean and repair what does work. Here’s more on how clean out your closet.
2. Bring Out the Accessories – If you have scarves, hats, or jewelry you’ve purchased but never really worn, now is the time to inventory what you have and bring them out to play. Accessories can actually breath new life into an outfit and give it an entirely new look and feel. Here’s more on what accessories can do for an outfit.
3. Mix and Match – A lot of times when we purchase an outfit or piece of clothing we have an idea of how we will wear it and that becomes the only way we wear it. Try something new. Take a skirt, pant, or dress and pair it with every top, jacket, and sweater you own to see what new looks emerge. And yes, you turn a dress into a skirt but wearing a top over it.
4. Get Creative with Color – I’m a big advocate for understanding and playing with color. When you learn which are the right colors for you and fill your closet with those colors, then the combinations you can make are endless. Also consider color combinations you’ve never created before. An understanding of the color wheel will be really helpful here.
5. Look for Stylish Inspirations – I love that you’re following/subscribed to my blog and see it as a source of style inspiration but don’t stop there. It can be challenging to imagine yourself in a style when the person wearing it is a size 2 and you’re not. Or seeing yourself in a $6,000 Chanel or Gucci couture worn by a model or celebrity. However, it’s not about the size or cost, it’s about the style. Yes you may want to tweak a few things to fit your style personality or your petite, tall, or curvy girl frame, but that’s the easy part. I often read other’s blogs and fashion magazines for my outfit inspirations that I use to shop my closet.
Take a 30-day challenge and create outfits from the clothes in your closet using these tips. Share your outfits and how it felt to become your own wardrobe stylist!
Live, laugh, shine!
Carol 😉
Sharing is Caring! ❤
Check out my website and get your FREE copy of my Shopping Guide and Wardrobe Must Haves Checklist!
Look for Less – Black and White
Happy Friday!!
I’m confident that it was not her marriage to George Clooney that made Amal Clooney a fashion icon. Her taste, style, and sense of fashion are impeccable and clearly not something that happened overnight. Her style personality is clearly classic and elegant and reminds me of a cross between Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Audrey Hepburn. Flawless.
I have several clients whose lifestyle and work life are very casual, yet they want to take their look up a notch. This outfit is a great example of how to bring that energy to your wardrobe. In Fashion Feng Shui it’s called metal energy. The metal energy is about bringing refinement and elegance into your wardrobe and Amal Clooney is a perfect model for how to dress the metal energy.
Fashion magazines and Pinterest are great resources to help you determine your style personality. Don’t get hung up on the size of the model/celebrity or the cost of the outfit because, as you can see here, your inspired look can be duplicated in your size and budget.
If you’d like to learn more about Fashion Feng Shui and how to create a wardrobe that represents your authentic self and flatters as wells as fulfills you, contact me and let’s transform your life.
Have a safe and blessed Memorial Day weekend!
Live, laugh, shine!
Carol 😉
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What to Wear Memorial Day Weekend
Memorial Day Weekend is right around the corner and I wanted to share a few style inspirations for you. What are plans this weekend? Whether it’s backyard barbecues, fun at the beach, or sailing under beautiful sunny skies you’ll want to look stylish and festive. Whatever your plans have a safe, fun, and relaxing weekend!!
Sailing in the Sun
Jacket // Top // Pants // Shoes // Bag // Bracelets 1, 2 // Earrings // Sunnies
Fun at the Beach
Top // Shorts // Bag // Shoes // Necklace // Sunnies
Backyard Barbecue
Dress (similar) // Denim Vest // Shoes (similar)
While you’re celebrating this weekend, be sure to take a moment of silent reflection to honor those who so valiantly fought and died for our country throughout the years, as well as their families. Also pray for those who are currently serving and placing their lives in harms way. May God protect each of you.
This post is dedicated to my father, a career military man who served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. May you continue to rest in peace……I love you dad!
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Live, laugh, shine!
Carol 😉
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Shorts and AVA & VIV
Top: AVA & VIV Target | Shorts: AVA & VIV Target | Necklace: Silpada Designs
Ring & Bracelet: Silpada Designs | Sunnies: Tory Burch
Earrings: Silpada Designs
Sandals: Sam & Libby Target
We’re finally coming into shorts season and the stores are filled with a variety of options, so now is the time to find a few pair that you love and purchase them. While I was in Target the other day I saw these cute little Bermuda shorts from the AVA & VIV plus collection and decided to give them a try. I also found this black shirt, which was the last one (they had plenty in white), and I paired them together to see if the black in the shirt and shorts would work well together. Well as they say….the rest is history. I really love the combination of the two materials and styles and feel it elevates and creates a great look. And, as luck would have it, on the way to checkout, I saw these extremely comfortable Sam & Libby flip flops on sale and snatched them up!
Now with regard to fit there are a few things to consider with this line. Sizing for dresses and tops appears pretty accurate and true to size. However, the pants and shorts run very small. In fact, I had to go up two sizes to find a fit that worked for me. Keep this in mind, particularly if you plan to shop this collection online.
Rompers are also very popular right now, so if you love jumpsuits you may want to try one of the many styles out there. I’m especially loving shorts and rompers with lace and scalloped hems. Here are a few of my favorites for all sizes.
Scalloped Lace Romper – Eloquii
Scalloped Lace – Anthropologie
What are you some of your favorite styles? Comment and share below!
Live, love, shine!
Carol 😉
Sharing is Caring! ❤
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Why You NEED a GLAMBeauty Bar in Your Life
Vancouver, Washington just got a little more gorgeous with the addition of the GLAMBeauty Bar, a fabulous makeup and hair lounge with professional stylist and estheticians. Under the leadership of it’s owners, Meghan Hamilton and Leslie Stose, GLAMBeauty Bar provides women with a space and location that will allow them to not only look beautiful but feel beautiful. This key factor is what elevates their service and separates them from the rest.
Leslie Stose & Meghan Hamilton
What GLAMBeauty Bar provides is truly a tool for stress management. Women do not take enough time to pamper, relax, and nurture themselves. Making good eating choices and moving your body in some way on a daily basis are definitely needed; but alone, they are not enough to guard against the stressful factors in our lives. Finding moments and ways to indulge in self-care, relaxation, and/or pampering activities actually helps to prevent chronic stress. I know your day is filled with countless activities (I know because so is mine) and you’re thinking “who has the time for this?” Well, according to the American Psychological Association, we should make the time since social outlets and relaxing activities are keys to reducing the harmful effects of stress.
The APA and AMA (American Medical Association) have concurred that chronic stress is linked to (a) weakened immune system which can make you susceptible to colds and infection; (b) increased weight gain; (c) heart disease; (d) higher risk of cancer and liver disease; and (e) aging. We all feel stress in our lives, but the danger comes when we don’t take steps to reduce it. Something as simple as taking a relaxing bath, meditating, or a leisurely walk can all help to reduce stress levels. However, why not take time out to visit a place where you’ll feel pampered and appreciated AND leave gorgeous!
GLAMBeauty Bar provides a variety of services ranging from makeup, to tanning, to blowouts. They offer a refreshing berry or cucumber infused water, coffee and tea, and coming soon a signature and delicious “GLAMpagne.” In addition to the services offered, you can shop their GLAMshop filled with personally selected products by owner and founder Meghan Hamilton, a licensed esthetician and make-up artist to the stars. They also offer classes on the essentials, and if you’re so inclined, you can rent the space out for a fun GNO, bridal shower, or a special rest and relaxation session with a group of your besties.
I am excited to be their personal stylist and to have helped them create a GLAM look for their website befitting their styles and personalities. However, I’m even more excited to one of GLAMBeauty Bar’s VIP clients. I don’t often show what I look like without makeup, but I’m doing it here for you fabulous folks just so you can see their amazing work. I often joke that they take me from 50 to 30 in under an hour! 😉 If you want to learn how to take care of your skin or if don’t often wear make up or don’t know how to wear it, they can help you at GLAMBeauty Bar. Check out their makeup lookbook and choose from one of the many options.
Before —->After
If you live in the Pacific Northwest or you find yourself visiting this beautiful part of the country, do yourself and your health a favor, make an appointment and get a little GLAMBeauty Bar in your life!
You can find and follow GLAMBeauty Bar on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and Twitter!
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Live, laugh, shine!
Carol 😉
Sharing is Caring! ❤
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3 Keys to Choosing the Perfect Maxi Dress
Maxi Dress: Lane Bryant | Shoes: Vince Camuto (similar here & here)
Earrings: K&R Collection from Silpada Designs Jewelry
Ring & Cuff: K&R Collection | Ring: Silpada Designs Jewelry
Yesterday I shared my top 10 favorite maxi dresses and my love for this particular silhouette. Today, I’m channeling my inner goddess Athena in this beautiful ethereal maxi dress. It has a Greco-Roman look and feel to it with the pleating, spaghetti straps, and sash. Of course I had to pair it with my gladiator sandals and greek inspired jewels. If you’re looking for the perfect maxi dress, here are 3 keys to choosing the perfect one for you!
1. Color – If you’re a regular reader you’ve seen me write about color and the power of wearing the right colors for you. Choosing colors that compliment your underlying skin tone will make you look younger, energized, awake, and refreshed (and who doesn’t want that?!). The wrong colors will draw the light out of your face, highlight dark circles and blemishes, and frankly make you look older. If you’re not sure about which colors look best on you I suggest you consult a colorist; and please don’t rely on those quick fix solutions roaming around the internet. Many folks have a neutral palette meaning they can wear both warm and cool colors; however, you won’t know the correct intensity or color value to wear without consulting a professional. Trust me, when you find the right one, it’s worth it!
2. Fit – I’ve also shared the importance of finding garments that compliment your body shape. This is not meant to limit what you can wear, merely help you find those things that look best on you. Don’t pay attention to the size of the garment, always focus on fit. Sizes vary from garment to garment and from store to store, and you will rarely find things that fit you perfectly (which is also why I believe everyone should have a tailor on speed dial!). Consider the (a) weight of the fabric (there’s a lot of fabric in this dress so it may be too “heavy” for a petite frame), (b) proportion (does it make you look long and lean or short and stumpy), (c) wearability (is the fabric stiff or does it have some give and stretch), and (d) always look for something that will accentuate your curves or at least give the illusion of curves. Also, if you have the option to belt or not to belt, go for belting. I know it seems counterintuitive but trust me, you’ll love it when you rediscover your waist and the way you look.
3. Style – As you can see from yesterday’s post, there’s a considerable variety of styles to choose from when selecting a maxi dress. To find the right style for you consider three things: (a) your style personality, (b) occasion, and (c) time of day. Do you need something classic and elegant or casual and comfortable? Will you be wearing it to work, special occasion, or just for weekend fun? Sleeves or sleeveless? Light and/or muted fabric or heavy and patterned? All of these things must be taken into consideration to ensure you make the right purchase for you. If you’re unclear about your style personality, the next time you’re out shopping try on a variety of looks and styles and make note of the ones you loved and the others you didn’t. Be as specific as you can with your descriptions. Trust me, in the end, you’ll have a better idea of where and how to shop for yourself.
Remember these three keys and you’ll find the perfect maxi dress(es) for all your styling needs this summer.
Live, love, shine!
Carol 😉
Sharing is Caring! ❤
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