Winterberry Cheer

Hi all! I know it's been a long time since I did an outfit post so here it goes. Unfortunately, I couldn't come back full force with a decent photo for you all as the coloring of this picture is completely terrible due to my being late for work and not having enough time to retake the shot. Anyway, with the weather in LA staying a warm, breezy 80-something degrees, I've been able to get away with wearing my skirts to work lately.... which has been awesome! I hope we're lucky enough for it to last just a little while longer. :)

Details are simple: Halogen skirt from Nordie's, blouse from Zara, and Ann Taylor Perfect Elle Pumps. I love this Halogen skirt because the A-line silhouette is a perfect alternative to the more conservative (and constricting) pencil skirts I usually wear. Plus, it has pockets, a bow-tie belt, and buttons all down the front! So much added detailing in addition to the fact that I can eat a little more than normal and there's no need to worry about the good old tummy pudge showing. I picked this up during the Anniversary sale and love that I can dress it up or down. For today, I paired the skirt with this pretty dusty blue top from Zara. Most of you know how much I love Zara and I have to admit that I've been lucking out in terms of finding some really cute stuff there lately. The store came out with a line of pretty blouses for the fall and this was the second one I've purchased this month. The rayon material is light and comfy and the polka dots are super cute... almost like little winterberries! The overall fit is also rather flattering and I like that the billowy sleeves aren't too overwhelming for my frame. I've been buying more tops like this because they're a nice update to my ordinary tank + cardi combo and are a quick and easy way to dress up even a casual jeans + flats outfit. The goal is to look more grown-up, right? I finished the outfit off with my new favorite Ann Taylor pumps! How awesome is it that Heidi Klum is the new AT spokesperson? I really am impressed at the fact that the brand did an amazing job of repositioning itself over the past year or so. Cannot wait to see what other goodies they have in store next!

Although not completely evident in this picture, I'm also wearing kate spade metropolitan pearl studs, which I picked up during their most recent 30% off sale (which they have very often!). If Zara is synonymous with clothes, kate spade is synonymous for accessories in my world! I love, love their shoes and am just beginning to start collecting their jewelry. The price points are so affordable and the quality is so much better than what you're paying for! I've been wearing my floral earrings for months now and the gold has not faded or dulled whatsoever. I'm also a sucker for pretty packaging and the store does an amazing job of making sure your jewelry arrives in cheery gift boxes. As the holidays are quickly approaching, I would definitely recommend picking up some earrings, bracelets, or necklaces for the girlies in your life. I know I will be buying more!

Love the fact that these come wrapped up and ready to go!

Kate Spade Floral Earrings

Earrings have always been my go-to accessory for dressing up any outfit, but since few of the ones I own are work-appropriate, I usually pass on wearing any at all these days. After being earring-less for most of the year (I've lost more pearl studs than I can count), I was so excited to find these adorable floral studs at the Kate Spade outlet store in Cabazon! I actually stopped by the outlets on my way home from Palm Springs this past weekend to do a little browsing for a fun pair of Kate Spade shoes. After discovering that the Kate Spade outlet store only receives shipments of shoes in sizes 6.5 and up (what are they thinking?!), finding these 14K gold-plated "oops a daisy" earrings for $29.99 was a great consolation! The store also had the dangly version available for the same price--I'm debating whether I should go back to get them as well. The studs are low-key and conservative, making them a great alternative to the slew of work-day pearls that most of my coworkers stick to.

Most Kate Spade earrings retail for $45-75 and can be found at department stores, such as, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. Similar to their shoes, I think the brand's jewelry is simple, but classic.



Here are a few other pieces I'd love to add to my jewelry collection.

More Kate Spade...

Pump Up That Color

This year, one of the things I've been trying to more consciously do is incorporate color into my work wardrobe. Before I reach for a cute black top, I make sure now to see whether the colored versions would be a better choice. It's been a slightly difficult feat, however, given that black, grey, and white are superfluous choices in the business casual section. Black looks soooo good on though, how can I really resist despite how absolutely boring 5 days of black can be?

Maybe it's time to take a different route: colorful shoes!

Let's take some pointers from one of our favorite fashionistas: Carrie Bradshaw. When Carrie finally got her man at the end of the SATC movie, we couldn't help but have a little faith in the fact that maybe all the craziness of her 7 year struggle with Big was finally worth it... and most of us were squealing at that beautiful closet he built for her beloved shoe collection. In the end, she got her lover and her fabulous shoes. Her Something Blue Satin Manolo's were her chosen pair for her wedding. Not only did they serve as a focal point for the movie (who else could propose with a shoe besides the charming Big?), they were the perfect pop of color for the happy bride.

Like Carrie, offsetting the bore of my work clothes (and even LBDs) with colorful shoes looks like the best way to go!

These are my choice for gorgeous blue shoes. Only 30% of the cost of Carrie's Manolo's! Kate Spade shoes are definitely my newest obsession--they're comfortable, well constructed, and pretty darn beautiful. Best of all, there are always sales going on so they are even more lustworthy and suitable for an entry-level corporate slave like me. I would say that based on the conservatism of your work environment, I'd stick with deeper versions just to be safe. Of course, they might not work so well for meetings and such, but for everyday wear, they're a great way to play up your day!

Spring Blossoms

The rain's really been coming down in LA and all I can think about is how quickly I wish spring and summer would be back already! The dreariness of cold, wet rain combined with long work days makes a girl quite sad. With a closet full of colorful dresses (and tons more on my to-buy list), I can't wait for this to be over! My sister was visiting the other day and had on a cute new floral dress that she picked up from UCLA neighborhood store, Kaitlyn. It reminded me that I can't think of anything I love more than spring blossoms.

Ruffle Tiered Dress ($29.90): This is the dress my sister had on and it's totally cute and girly! I'm going to pair this (when I steal it from her) with my favorite grey boyfriend cardigan for a weekend brunch date.

Collective Concepts B&W Dress ($59.00): This is one of my favorite floral dresses. I love the bold contrast of the black and white flowers and the structured fit makes this quite work-friendly (always a plus for us working girls). Adding sky high heels will easily transition this into a Friday after-work ensemble.

AE Floral Tube Dress ($44.50): I have a dress like this from the summer collection and it's one of my favorites! It hugs in all the right places giving me a smaller waist, bigger hips, and a good amount of bustiness (because that's what us petite gals could all use a little more of).
 

Why stop at dresses? This Kate Spade beauty is a MUST. There's something about red flowers that makes every girl a little weak in the knees.

And just for fun, aren't these the cutest earrings ever?!

Rain, rain, please go away so my dresses and shoes can come out to play!

Once You Start, You Just Can't Stop...

I hate that shopping can basically cure all. After feeling a little down lately, I've forgotten how easily a girl can get lost in the excitement of new purchases! I desperately wish I was more immune to this weakness... but alas, once you start swiping that card, it's pretty much never going to stop. My current obsession: SHOES.

While doing a little roaming around in SF this past weekend, I stumbled upon these Michael Kors 'Berkley' sandals... on sale for $98 from $128!!

I've been looking for some "trendier" shoes to add my embarrassingly nonexistent collection of shoes and these were perfect! I love that they're simple, but offer a little more with the zipper detail. The SF Nordie's didn't have my size, but I was able to pick up a pair today in LA on the way home from work. They are amazingly comfortable and will be a quick and easy way to dress up a pair of skinny jeans. I'm also looking forward to throwing these on with a mini skirt and tank top for those nights out. These will have to do before I can afford anything like the hot Manolo's that my friend picked up this weekend. :)

I did some more browsing around while killing time before my Bar Method class (more on this in a later post) and quickly fell in love with the kate spade 'felice' flats!

I haven't found a pair of flats that I've really liked in forever and these are not only the perfect combo of cute and girly, but are SO comfortable. The price tag of $195 was a little too steep for me at the moment, but Fate works in mysterious ways. Although I had doubts, I scoured the internet in search of these cuties on sale and somehow, THEY WERE ON SALE. At 40% off on Nordstrom.com, my fingers did some clicking and by this time next week, I will have some adorable new flats to wear for the fall. I'm certain that these beautiful flats will quickly replace my black patent Revas as my go-to pair since the nude color will serve as a great pairing for any outfit.

Two great shopping excitements in one day made for a great Monday. As the fall season is finally starting to set upon LA, I'm looking forward to adding to my cold season wardrobe as well! Let's hope for some exciting new looks in the weeks to come.