Adore Your Style: 5 Things To Avoid Until It’s Officially Fall…

It’s that time of year where yes I admit it is getting colder, but that doesn’t mean you can break out those boots just yet. I’ve been seeing a lot of people push the envelope on breaking welcoming fall. I admit I have the itch to break out my sweaters and spend my night on the couch with a pumpkin spice latte just as much as the next person, but here are my top five things you need to avoid at least til October. Yes you can wait two more weeks, I know you can do it.

1) Boots. Tall boots, short boots, UGG boots, I don’t care what they look like, keep them in your shoe closet. You spent too much money on that pedicure to give up on your sandals just yet.

2) Sweaters. When the weather is still in the 60’s there is no reason for you to be bundled up looking like it’s going to snow any minute. My solution if your that cold is to throw on a cardigan. Leave the puffer jacket at home.

3) Scarves. I know your dying to break out the twenty million scarves you own just as much as I am, but you probably still have a summer tan to show off so why cover that up? If you must, make sure the scarf is at least made out of light fabric, has a bright pattern or great graphic print.

4) Tights. I mean who even likes to wear these constricting, not comfortable, who even invented these things in the first place?

5) Turning on your heat. I’m doing you a favor here. If you pay for your heat you know just as much as the next person how much your electric bill goes up during the upcoming months. Invest in a few warm (and cute) blankets and throw them over your couch for a welcoming fall look.  Your bank account will thank you.

I know you have probably downed your hundredth pumpkin spice coffee by now, but don’t let go of summer just yet. We spend five to six months out of the year wishing summer was here. You will have plenty of time to rock out your boots, cuddle up with a book under your fireplace and complain on a daily basis on how uncomfortable tights are.

What are some summer items you can’t part with just yet?

Adore Your Style: Turn Something Old Into Something New

My mom says I’ve always been a fashionista. Ever since I could walk I was raiding her closet, trying on her clothes and of course accessorizing with her highest heels and prettiest jewelry. I guess that never changed because one weekend when I was home visiting from college I forgot all of my jewelry at school (tragic I know), so I figured I would just borrow some of my moms. That’s when I found this gorgeous ring. Rough around the edges yes, but for some reason I loved it. Therefore, I decided I  would permanently borrow it. 

Fast forward a couple of years later and I’m out of college, moved to New York away from my family and unfortunately my mothers stash of jewelry, when I come across the ring during a cleaning frenzy and I am transported to my childhood. After going to many jewelry stores looking for opal rings I just could never find one as beautiful as this one. So I decided to get the missing stone replaced and the ring cleaned. I found out that the ring was actually worth close to $300, and at $70 for the repair I couldn’t go wrong. After showing my mother (who was surprised I even had it….oops) and grandmother the new ring I was shocked to find out that it actually came from my great grandmother, which it makes it even more special that no store bought ring could ever match. Every time I wear the ring (which is every day, can you blame me?), I feel that a part of home is with me, and of course I love having pieces that are one of a kind.

The next time you find a great piece that might be a little rough around the edges take the time to get an estimate from a jeweler. Sometimes the piece is timeless and just needs a little tender loving care. 

Are you guilty of permanently borrowing items from your mom’s collection?

Adore Your Style: Finding the Right “Bootie”

It’s officially the end of summer. Even though Labor Day officially marks school starting, the end of pool parties and barbecues, I’m taking this opportunity to embrace the start of fall. Leaves turning, pumpkin everything and of course updating my fall wardrobe.

The first item on my fall wish list had to be caged, peeped toe booties that weren’t going to cost me a fortune, I’m no Carrie Bradshaw that can live on a writers budget and buy Manolo’s every month. However, after saving my pennies and doing some extensive research I found the perfect heel to fit the look I was going for and in my budget.

Thanks to my grandmother’s genetics I was blessed with enormous calves. No lie, you can find me in the shoe isle every fall crying every time I try on boots with zippers because they NEVER fit. Ever.

The bootie look can be hard to pull off for full figure calf girls like myself. Your basically cutting your ankle off right at the bottom of your calf, and I’m sorry no matter how cute that bootie is it’s only going to make them look bigger. These Christian Louboutin booties are to die for, but for $1,195 they better make me look like my legs go on for days, and unfortunately with the cut of the bootie right across the top that is not going to happen.

Photo: http://us.christianlouboutin.com

My solution? Guess made these gorgeous platform caged heels that have a bootie look to them but actually elongated my calves since the caged top actually goes down at an angle, and at $40 I couldn’t say no.

With this look you will never be that girl in the shoe isle crying again that your calves look like the size of China. I even had a lady in the store say my legs looked fab in these! Rock this bootie look with a pair of boyfriend jeans on a cool fall night, and pick up a pumpkin spice latte while your at it.

What is something your dying to get for fall?

Adore Your Life: It’s a Prince (My Thoughts on this Long, Long did I say Long… Anticipated Day)

Unless you live under a rock, you have probably already heard the news that Prince William and Kate had a baby boy. Proceed to have your awe moments and baby naming parties, but we can probably bet were going to be playing the waiting game again before the little tot has a name worthy of a future king. 

While everyone else is going goo-goo-ga-ga over the new bundle of joy, believe me I to was the first to yell out of my office cube “Its a boy!” (the serious finance people across the way loved that one), but what’s on my mind is Prince Harry.

Fourth in line to the thrown, Prince Harry would be waiting for a long long while to ever see the title of king, but something tells me that being single and a prince, he wont have any trouble living the fab life. Now being a Prince William fan for most of my life, I never really noticed that Prince Harry is actually kinda cute, and that bad boy image is only helping him. 

In the wake of this celebratory time lets not forget ladies that even though Prince Harry has a summer romance girlfriend, there is no ring on that finger. So don’t give up hope. 

And Prince Harry…You can give me a call anytime. 

Congrats to Kate and William…and let the bets on the baby name begin….

Adore Your Style: The Maxi Dress

Its a summer staple so I can’t even really tell you why I don’t have one, a maxi dress. Maybe its the fact that I am five foot six inches tall and think that as soon as I try one on I’ll look like I’m drowning, or the fact that I think I’ll look way to “dressed up” on a summer night out.  Either way, after seeing Lauren Conrad’s new June collection at Kohl’s I fell in love with not one, but two maxi dresses, that I’m thinking is going to be a must buy on my summer wardrobe checklist and I just had to share them with you!

This collection not only screams summer but the maxis can be worn to work with a great jean jacket and then out to happy hour or on a Saturday night with out the girls.  At $45/dress I can easily afford to look chic this summer and hop on the maxi dress trend. (Photos from http://laurenconrad.com)

What are your thoughts on a summer maxi dress? 

Adore your Life: I Think I Just Met My Idol

Living in Wisconsin for most of my life it was like Christmas morning when my issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine came in the mail. I knew it was going to be a bubble bath, radio playing, candle and Cosmo reading kind of night.

My mom, who thinks of everything even sent a subscription to my new, New York, address so I would get my fix of love, health, sex, and beauty tips every month. It was no surprise when I got a million texts on a Friday night to turn on the TV and watch Brian Williams “Rock Center” featuring Editor-In-Chief of Cosmo Joanna Coles. Since of course I lead a fabulous life of going out on the weekends, I happened to miss the interview on it’s original air date, but it was definitely worth the wait.

I found the interview to be so inspiring and thought on this Wednesday Hump Day I would share it with all of you! Enjoy!

Adore Your Style: The Classic Look that is Chanel

Photo from Pinterest

“A girl should be two things, classy and fabulous.” -Coco Chanel

From the timeless tweed jacket to the classic leather bag, owning a Chanel anything has been my dream since I can remember.

Chanel is three things, classic, elegant and timeless.  It’s hard to believe that this famous french designer grew up in an orphanage where she learned to sew. I grew up in a normal family household and I can’t even sew a button on my coat.

One of my bucket list pieces is to own a Chanel tweed jacket. Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel created the tweed jacket which was a revolution of the time in the 1950’s to allow women to not only look amazing but for the jacket to be a functional part of her wardrobe. Karl Lagerfeld took over the creative studio and the jacket took on new colors and embroidery and is still a classic piece any girl would love to have hanging in her closet.

In 1921, Chanel No. 5 was created and let me tell you ladies, I never thought of this but we should all take Chanel’s advice and place our perfume where we would like to be kissed. Basically, now instead of just getting out of the shower and just spraying my neck, the rest of  the body should get some perfume love and who knows maybe some actual loving will follow. It’s worth a shot, I mean she was a fashion genius so she must know a thing or two on perfume placement. If that isn’t enough, Marilyn Monroe revealed in 1952 that she only wears No. 5 to bed, and today Brad Pitt is the first man to endorse the perfume. Moral of the story, go to the store, yep right now, pick up some No. 5 and see where the night takes you.

I literally dream about owning the iconic Chanel quilted black bag, with the chain strap and of course the Chanel crisscrossed “C’s” displayed prominently on the front. In 1955, Chanel designed the infamous quilted handbag with the chain strap to allow for a strong, light handbag that allowed a lady to have her hands remain free.

At this point I figure I’m young, who needs an apartment and food when I could be saving for a Chanel handbag, right?

I could go on and on about how fab Chanel is, because, well it’s never going to go out of style. From celebrities like Diane Kruger, Anne Hathaway and Natalie Portman, Chanel graces the Red Carpet, and incorporates into celebrities every day style. One word, jealous.

Chanel is easily one of my top dream designers to add to my collection. Some people say spending over $3,000 on a purse is outrageous, and I’m going to take Ms. Coco Chanel’s advice on this one:

“The best things in life are free. The second best are very expensive.” -Coco Chanel

What Chanel piece would you love to have in your collection?

Adore Your Style: Fashion Fashion Fashion

“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” – Coco Chanel

From Gucci to Prada, Chanel to Dior; designer fashion teases and tempts us every day as glamorous works of art that only Carrie Bradshaw can afford on a journalist’s budget. 

Being a communications assistant at a publishing company, I don’t anticipate having a pair of Manolo’s taking up room in my closet in the near future. My current trips to NYC consist of stopping in at Bergdorf’s, gawking at all the amazing fashion, and walking 5th Avenue or the streets of Soho dreaming of casually walking out of Chanel, with a new bag in hand. 

While my  “Chanel” bag fund has all of $50 stowed away (only $2,500 to go), designer fashion entrances my brain into taking my wardrobe and making a $20 shirt seem like it came right off the runway. 

Fashion week and magazines feature new designer fashions and trends every day. In the weeks to come we are going to explore different designer fashions that even Carrie Bradshaw would be proud of.

What designer or era does your fashion inspiration stem from? 

Adore Your Health: Take This New Year By Storm!

January is almost over. How are you doing with that New Years Resolution to lose the weight, get to the gym or eat better?

I’l have to admit the eating better thing for me hasn’t been as disciplined as it could be, but getting to the gym….now that is something I am taking by storm. 

I joined my local YMCA and for $35/month I get access to new equipment to keep up with my running and it includes all classes. 

I never thought of myself as a “class” sort of person. I was always the independent I don’t want anyone to look at me kind of type. Until I discovered spinning. 

Spinning has changed my life. Everyone in the class is supportive, not judgmental  The instructor was helpful in setting up my bike and my first class I biked 16 miles. Granted I could barely walk the next day, but to use a new set of muscles and to have an instructor to push me to a level I never thought I could was liberating. 

Now I’m not saying everyone has to join a class, but if you were like me, afraid of working out with people, or having an instructor push you to your limit I say its a new year to get over that fear!

Hope to see you all at the gym!

Adore Your Health: New Years Resolution

It’s that time of year again. 

Holiday parties, cookies, pie, and oh yeah more cookies. It is almost impossible to stay away from the sweet treats from the season. Don’t forget that Starbucks seasonal latte you are getting every morning because “it only comes one time of year.” That’s my excuse to. 

Well tonight I am telling myself no more excuses. Put the cookie jars in the cupboard where they are out of sight and out of mind. Fill up on the veggie tray at your holiday party and actually use that gym membership. 

New Years is a couple of weeks away but my resolution is to start my healthy routine before the actual new year. Grab a buddy and start your year off right by living a healthy lifestyle. 

Happy Holidays everyone!