Seeing Red

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 | Posted by Ashleigh | Edit Post

I've been wearing a lot of red lately. Lips, shirts, purse. It's popping up everywhere. Maybe I'm feeling inspired by the upcoming holiday season? Maybe I just like how red looks against my pale skin and super blond hair? IDK, but red is in my wardrobe to stay! For a while anyway.

Two things to discuss. First, my "blogger bun." ALL my favorite fashion bloggers wear the so-called sock buns. They are suddenly a huge fad. I've been wearing them since 8th grade, when a girl in my class showed me how to do it. (I also regularly rocked cornrows. Inner-city school you know.) These days I do it the easy way. I use a BUN FORM. It is exactly what is sounds like, a form to make a bun. You throw your hair in a ponytail, then you can either start at the ends and roll the hair over and over your bun form and secure with hair pins (NOT BOBBY PINS.) Or do as I did here and slide the bun form to the base of your ponytail, fan your hair over it and then wrap the excess around the base and secure with hair pins. I did it this way for a messy, undone bun, but if you want the sleeker look, roll away! The bun form is like $3.99 and comes with hair pins. It's basically mesh and they come in different colors to match your hair.
The second thing to discuss: I look chunky here! I admit it and I don't mind. Fact is, I love this shirt. I love the detailing with the sequins at the shoulders. It's a GLEE shirt. But together with the skinny jeans, it's definitely not the most flattering look.  I was at the in-laws and had worn the jeans and boots with my Ralph Lauren sweater in THIS POST. We spent the night and this was the only other shirt I had available to wear.I decided to post it anyway because 1. I wanted to show you the bun form and 2. I'm not skinny. Sometimes, you can see my rolls. The world won't end. Plus, I still look cute for a rainy day spent at my in-laws refinishing furniture. (I'll post pics when it's done, so excited!) I went to Lowe's and sanded a table in it. I still like it. Maybe next time with a boot-cut jean?

OUTFIT BREAKDOWN

Glee Shirt: from STRUT consignment store in Florence KY

Jeans: Dots 

Boots: Walmart

Bun Form: Walmart

Necklace: Forever 21

Bag: Coach

Labels: boots, Coach, forever 21, glle, sock buns | 13 comments

Little French Girl

Monday, November 12, 2012 | Posted by Ashleigh | Edit Post

Today's look is an inspired by post! Kaylee at Sidewalk Ready featured this look awhile back, with a chambray shirt under a dress, and then Kacie from Kacie's Kloset did it this way.  My dress has a similar feel, except it is polka dotted,  and is a spring-y chiffon type fabric. I left out the additional black shirt. I did wear tights because no one wants to see my glow in the dark stems, and it was windy. I belted it, paired it with my knitted beret, gray lace-up boots, a multi-layer necklace and went to work. I think this is the third time in 12 days I've worn my chambray shirt. Since I bought it at full price (something that rarely happens) I believe I have definitely gotten my money's worth out of this guy. I had been wanting to wear something light, because it warmed up AGAIN (fall, won't you stay for a minute?) and I didn't want to sweat to death at work.

Maybe it's the knit beret, but I felt like a little French girl in this outfit. Where's my classic Schwinn bicycle? I need to go buy a baguet! Just kidding. IDK. I love how outfits and certain pieces of clothing can give you a feeling, almost like a character. Not like you are dressing in a costume, but just like, for a minute, you can be someone totally different. N'est-ce pas?

I LOVE this outfit. IDK, it just feels very fashion-y to me. Maybe because  I've seen this look often on blogs lately? I dunno. I also added a bangle in opposite colors, dainty earrings, and my leather Street Level satchel. Everytime I close that one clasp, it pops back open just in time for pictures!
I received many, many compliments on this from the guests at the hotel, and one not so great, but really funny comment from my son. He's four, and he said I look like a waitress. Then he asked me to make him pancakes. Aww! So, do I look like a waitress?

*Do you not LOVE all the crunchy leaves and beautiful fall foliage? These were taken at my BFF's apartment, right outside her front door. There are more, but I wanted this shot to show you how pretty it is here in the fall. I love KY.
That's me balancing on a beam. My idea to try to do it in heeled boots!

OUTFIT BREAKDOWN

Beret: Dots (quite old)

Chambray shirt: Old Navy

Polka dot dress: Forever 21 (from 2012, just in the spring)

Tights: George from Walmart

Boots: Wet Seal (2011)

Bag: Street Level via Piperlime

Earrings: Walmart

Necklace: Banana Republic via Gap Outlet

Bangle: Forever 21

Labels: baguets, berets, forever 21, granny boots, layers | 14 comments

Rescue and Resuscitate

Friday, October 26, 2012 | Posted by Ashleigh | Edit Post

I bought this top at the plus-size consignment place Laura's closet in Florence Ky. I love polka dots so I had to buy it. It seemed familiar though. I've never consigned there so I couldn't have bought one that I had traded in! Then it hit me, it merely reminded me of Kendi's default pic on her blog.  Not exactly the same shirt, but similar. Mine has a very deep vee that is obscured by the ruffle, thank goodness. I was already wearing jeans on a non-jeans day, I could not push my boss to the limit and show all my cleavage!

Sorry about the pictures. My photographer was busy so I couldn't get this shot till night and I had to be inside, where the lights turn my hair green. You get the idea though.

I LOVE my purse! I rescued him. I was at the Gap Outlet and he was on the shelf with his brown and black leather brothers, sitting forlornly. No one wanted him because his buckle was broken. I wanted him though. He is from Banana Republic and reminds me of this 

tomato-red leather bag Kaylee has over on sidewalkready. I had been looking for a similar one, with the color + shape + gold hardware. He was only $6.99, so I decided to take a chance that I could fix him. I have black, brown and tan leather bags, but no red. I then bought a magnetic purse-closure kit from Walmart and proceeded to very carefully fix my man. It is hard work making those tiny slits exactly where they should go, through the leather! Here's my guy in his original form:

I think I'm going to go buy a large gold tone brooch to place where his clasp was, as he will be complete once he's a little more fancy. What do you think?

Outfit Breakdown:

Top: Charter Club via Laura's Closet

Jeans: Liz&Co. from Burlington Coat Factory

Belt: Came off a shirt I bought at Wet Seal

Flats: Wet Seal

Purse: Banana Republic via Gap Outlet

Jewelry: Dangle Earrings from Forever 21, Studs from Target, Long Necklace was thrifted at Laura's Closet, Heart and Key necklace from Tiffany & Co. Rings are from many places.

What do you think of my rescued and resuscitated Banana Republic purse? Worth the effort?

PS-I matched my lip color to this purse. I just love the perfect POP it gives to my outfits!

Labels: Banana Republic, DIY, forever 21, Kendieveryday inspo, sidewalkready inspo | 9 comments

Something Old, Something New

Thursday, October 18, 2012 | Posted by Ashleigh | Edit Post

I have wanted to start a fashion blog for a very LONG time. For the past year or so I have been logging outfit photos on my personal Facebook for my legions of fans on there to kind of test the waters-so to speak. (By legions of fans I mean my mom. She likes and comments every photo. Good Mommy!) So I have been using photos (except when London guest posted for me) from there to build my blog up in it's inaugural week so that the outfits I photograph this week will have time to be edited and such (thanks for the recommendations of picsa) and will be posted NEXT week. This way, if I am sick or on vacation I have about a week's worth of pictures in reserve to post for you. This is also why the quality of some of these first pictures = not so great, they were taken by me with my Blackberry or my tablet. I'm still learning, but the best part is we can learn and grow together! This week I am learning HTML (a little) and how to edit my pictures, and after that I will be taking a photography class so I can do a lot more with my camera. That was the old. This is the something new! (ESH)

Sharon, my coworker, wanted me to dress up for her birthday. I wore my favorite dress, a black blazer, a LOT of costume jewelry, sky-high heels (not pictured) and a lovely little fascinator. The effect was very cute but a little like Minnie Mouse! I think it could also have used a belt but I love the look and I have worn variations on it since.

Outfit Breakdown:
Dress: Forever 21
Blazer: Body Central (it's fully lined, 98% cotton and 2% stretch. Pretty Good for the price which was like $12)
Shoes (not pictured): DEB
Jewelry: All forever 21! Minus my engagement ring, of course.
Fascinator: Forever 21 strikes again!
Glass: Cover Girl from 2010
Side note: I bought a similar fascinator for my upcoming nuptials. It also came from Forever 21. Score for me because the wedding places charge like $80 and UP for them, but they were $3 each at Forever 21!

Labels: blazer, dress up, fascinator, forever 21, polka dots, sky high heels, work | 2 comments