daily duds: olive you

The last week or so has been pretty busy for me--my son started school last Thursday and I celebrated my 29th birthday last Friday. (I celebrated by going to see Takers, which was an awesome gift to myself. Idris Elba, T.I., Michael Ealy and Paul Walker all in one movie?! What more could a girl ask for?) The weekend was spent grasping not only the fact that I'm a year away from 30, but also that my son will be 5 this Friday. Where does the time go? Don't get me wrong--I'm not one of those women who gets depressed about being a year older when my birthday rolls around. (Besides, if you're not getting older, you must be...dead.) It just seems that in the blink of an eye, days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, and months turn into years. Sigh.

Anyway, on to what I wore today. If you've been reading my blog, you know that olive is taking over my wardrobe. The newest olive addition is this top that I bought from Forever 21.



I really like the voluminous uneven hem and the buttons. I paired it with an olive skirt and leopard-print pumps.





The more I looked at the skirt and top together, the less I liked them together. I love each piece separately, but I feel like when I pair them, there's so much...volume. So in the middle of the day I ended up changing into a pair of black skinnies with the intent to balance the width of the top's lower half.





I definitely like it better with the jeans. What do you think: skirt or jeans?





And let's not forget the supporting cast:



[TOP: Forever 21; SKIRT: Forever 21; JEANS: Forever 21; SHOES: Baker's; HANDBAG: Express; AVIATORS: Payless; EARRINGS: Gold Beauty Supply; RING: Forever 21]

daily duds: autumn in august

We're still getting triple-digit temperatures here in Texas, so it doesn't seem that fall will be making an appearance any time soon. But I'm okay with that because I'm getting my fall fix in this leafy skirt.





Though I'm dying to try my hand at mixing prints, I tend to pair patterned skirts with a simple top, and this outfit was no different. I wore a white button-down bodysuit and piled on the gold necklaces.





The skirt buttons and zips in the back but during the day, I ended up twisting the skirt around and wearing the zipper in the front. I think it makes a subtle difference...





Once the cold weather hits, I'll definitely pair this skirt with tights and a turtleneck or maybe a cardigan. But for now I'll stick with lightweight tops.



The supporting cast...



[SKIRT: Goodwill (tag says Tracy Feith for Target); BODYSUIT: Forever 21; SHOES: Charlotte Russe; CLUTCH: Ross; RING: Queen Beauty Supply; EARRINGS: Gold Beauty Supply; SINGLE CHAIN NECKLACE: Forever 21; PEARL CHAIN NECKLACE: Forever 21; LONG CHAIN NECKLACE: Walmart]

i wanna be a billionaire so freakin' bad...

...so I can buy these $1295.00 Ruthie Davis STUD pumps that I've been lusting for ever since I saw a picture of Kim Kardashian sporting them. If only the decimal in the price were after the 9 (or the 2!) instead of the 5. Sigh.



[PHOTO CREDIT: SHE Boutique]

[CONFESSION: I'm embarrassed to admit that I actually spent half an hour on Google looking for silver studs with the hopes that I could create a DIY version of these shoes. That's how badly I want them. Pathetic, I know.]

ring-a-ding

Sometimes when I REALLY like an item of clothing or a pair of shoes, I purchase it in multiple colors. It just so happens that my impulse to buy in multiples has spilled over to jewelry.



When I saw these metallic wire rings at one of the local beauty supply stores, I picked up one in each 'color': silver, gold, copper (my favorite!) and pewter (I guess it's pewter).



I tend to like huge statement rings, so the simplistic design of these rings is refreshing. As a bonus, they're adjustable.



[RINGS: Queen Beauty Supply]

wardrobe replica: olivia palermo

Whether she's clashing with coworkers or strolling the streets of New York, Olivia Palermo looks good doing it. She's a steely ice princess on The City, but this girl's wardrobe is hot! Some think her style is a bit 'mature' at times, but nothing about the look below says 'grandma.'



I fell in love with her navy and orange ensemble as soon as I saw it and wanted to recreate it immediately. I already had the navy sailor pants (seen here) but I struggled to find an orange tank--until yesterday when a visit to the New York & Company web site turned into a trip to the New York & Company store at the local mall, which turned into this:





Upon closer inspection, I realize that Olivia's tank isn't tiered, but I still think the tank I purchased is pretty similar. I accessoried with brown T-strap heels (Olivia's are YSL), carried a camel-colored handbag (that I looooove!) and wore minimal jewelry.





Here's a close-up of the supporting cast:



[PANTS: Forever 21; TANK: New York & Company; SHOES: Charlotte Russe; HANDBAG: Vintage; RING: Baker's; BANGLES: Agaci Too; EARRINGS: Gold Beauty Supply; OLIVIA PALERMO PHOTO CREDIT: The Look 4 Less]

daily duds: pixelated

Remember this skirt? When I pulled it off the rack at the thrift to examine it, it appeared to be someone's home economics project or a homemade sewing job. There were no tags and there was evidence that it wasn't mass-produced. Well, recently I found this handmade frock at Goodwill, which also appeared to be a donated homemade project:



I really like this yellow and white checkered dress; yellow is such a bright summery color and I fell in love with the 'pixelated' pattern of the dress.



I've already worn the dress once before and I paired it with my cobalt blue heels. Today I wore my camel-colored ruffle shoes and carried a recently-acquired vintage handbag.



I belted the dress and accessorized with big yellow earrings and a yellow ring, both of which were borrowed from my mom's jewelry box.



[DRESS: Goodwill; BELT: Forever 21; SHOES: Urban Original; HANDBAG: Vintage; EARRINGS: Borrowed; RING: Borrowed; AVIATORS: Payless]

daily duds: foolproof formula

The little one and I woke up at the crack of dawn today for an early-morning dentist appointment. For me, that meant putting on something comfortable and that didn't require (much) ironing.



I've expressed my love for basic white tees on more than occasion. Whether it's a tank or a slouchy tee or a long-sleeved shirt, I can always count on a simple white top for a laid-back look.



Today I paired a long-sleeved white top with a pair of black skinny jeans and red heels. I accessorized with bold red earrings and a camel-colored handbag.



Despite the fact that I'm not really into cold weather, I can't help but feel a bit ready for change. My wardrobe feels a sort of 'blah' right now, so I wouldn't mind being able to swap my summer wardrobe for my fall one. (Then as soon as it gets cold, I'll be ready for it to warm up again.)



I like to consider this look foolproof because I still look somewhat put-together without putting forth much effort.



[TOP: Old Navy; JEANS: Forever 21; SHOES: Urban Original; HANDBAG: Vintage; EARRINGS: Borrowed]

daily duds: billow talk

I normally steer clear of loose blouses because I think they tend to make me look pregnant. However, it is still unbelievably hot outside so today I took a chance and wore this billowy light gray tank.



I wore a pair of skinny jeans to balance the volumnious top and added a navy blue vest.



I accessorized with a bright red scarf...



...a wide silver bracelet...



...and a cluster ring.



And here's the supporting cast.



[JEANS: Forever 21; TOP: Target; VEST: Casa View Thrift; SHOES: Charlotte Russe; SCARF: Goodwill; RING: Baker's; BRACELET: Gold Beauty Supply; AVIATORS: Forever 21; HANDBAG: Agaci Too]

daily duds: feline design

According to the fashion world, leopard print is going to be big this fall. Just like last fall. And the fall before that (which is when I think I bought the skirt I wore today). I personally don't think leopard print should be considered a 'trend' because it never really goes out of style.



Today I paired a mesh leopard print skirt with a lightweight tan cardigan. I belted the cardigan with a bright yellow belt, which added a pop of color to an otherwise neutral ensemble.



I also added a pair of yellow wedges and a yellow handbag.



Although it's a pattern instead of a solid, I think leopard print serves as a neutral because it can be paired with pretty much any color. Normally I choose red to wear with leopard print, but yellow is much more fun--and unexpected! (Don't ask what's going on with my hand in this picture. It looks like I'm doing The Robot! LOL!)



In addition to the yellow belt...



I accessorized with gold bangles...



...and a brown, black, and gold ring.



As usual, here's a close-up of the supporting cast.



[SKIRT: Forever 21; CAMI: Forever 21; CARDIGAN: Forever 21; BELT: Forever 21; SHOES: Ten Dollar Shoe Store; HANDBAG: Dots (I think); RING: DIY (another ring fashioned from one of my grandmother's old earrings); BRACELETS: Agaci Too; AVIATORS: Payless; EARRINGS: Body Central]

daily duds: a bit of wine and a bunch of whine

I don't know if it's the August heat (or the fact that I had a boatload of laundry to do), but I didn't feel like putting much effort into my outfit today. I wanted to be cool and comfortable. And I was.



I wore a rosette-hemmed wine-colored skirt and a plain white tank. (I'm definitely getting back to basics.) I added my leopard print pumps and carried a maroon handbag.



On the plus side, I got my laundry done. On the minus side, my son was unusually whiny today.



The supporting cast included a bunch of gold jewelry and my gold-rimmed aviators.



[SKIRT: Forever 21; TANK: Hanes; SHOES: Baker's; HANDBAG: Baby Phat; BANGLES: Agaci Too; RING: Gifted; AVIATORS: Payless; CHAIN NECKLACE: Walmart; CHARM NECKLACE: Forever 21; CUTE KID: Mine]