Brrrrr

Well, it seems that the Great Dallas Ice Storm of 2013 is coming to a close, thank the Lord.  I'm sure that it will be something most Dallasites won't soon forget, recounting the tales of fallen trees and the lack of electricity for nearly 24 hours.  It was armageddon, y'all. When you live in a climate that rarely sees cold temperatures or weather of any kind, the world stops and people lose their damn minds at the mention of "freezing rain". It's actually pretty entertaining.  We passed the time by drinking screwdrivers and playing Trivial Pursuit with friends up the street, so it wasn't half bad.  

I did take a few minutes to get out and take some pics before all the ice melted in my new duds from Old Navy.  I all but threatened the life of the store manager after he refused to take this Heart and Soul sweatshirt down off the mannequin.  After begging and pleading, I waited until he went outside for his smoke break and then scaled the window scene to pull it off the form.  I apologize to the poor "lady" I left shirtless in the window for all of Dallas to see.  I was so pleased with myself that I waived this puppy like a flag as I ran past the manager on the way to my car.  I may need to lay low and shop online for a few months...

Sweatshirt: Old Navy  |  Blouse: Mossimo via Target (old)  |  Leggings: Old Navy  |  Beanie: Xhilaration (old)

Gloves: Old Navy  |  Boots: Hunter On SUPER Sale  |  Jacket: J.Crew Factory (in store only)

xoxo,

sarah

The One Thing

Hi loves!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and got some much needed R&R.  We traveled all day long yesterday to get back from USVI and today is definitely going to present a challenge, simply getting back into the swing of things.  I really feel like I've been on another planet for the past 7 days. The good news is that we have another holiday right around the corner!  

So, as you can see, I partook in Cyber Monday, but not in the usual sense.  Since I had an entire day in flight and laying over, I was able to work on the rebranding that I told you about in my last post.  What do you think of the new WorkdayWeekend??  I'm super stoked about the new, fresh look and really can't believe I waited this long to do it!  It's not 100% complete, but it's already worlds better than it was to begin with.  I researched several different options including several custom designs and ended up with this semi-custom design from 17th Avenue.  Kate makes everything so simple, from the design itself to easy-peasy installation, which is so important for a tech dummy like me.  It was extremely cost effective (custom designs can get into the thousands) and actually came in much less than I had originally budgeted for.  Y'all know how I like a bargain!

Back to Black Friday and Cyber Monday - did you guys find any great deals?  Since I was out of town I hit the J.Crew sale before I left and got some cute things, but other than that I generally don't partake in the madness.  I am a thoughtful shopper.  I like to take my time to look, touch, and try on.  I go to stores on Tuesday afternoon at 2:30pm just so I have some peace and quiet, so the sheer panic and bustle of Black Friday makes me want to take a handful of Xanax.  Not my cup of tea.  There is always The One Thing every year that people go absolutely bat shit crazy over and lose all sense of normalcy to obtain.  In the spirit of The One Thing, I got to thinking about a great gift that everyone would love, is still stylish, transcends genders and  ages, and is easily accessible to just about everyone.  Gorgeous plaid scarves have been popping up on every blog from here to Timbuktu and are all over Pinterest and I am just as smitten as the next girl.  Whether it's for your boo, your mom, or your co-worker, a plaid scarf is just the ticket.  Here are a few of my favorite looks:

A Lacey Perspective

A Pretty Penny

Closet Horse

Purely Peanut

Style Secret: Look in the men's section for a great size and rich tones!

Cons

Here are a few things that suck about being a blogger: coming up with new content, acting like a perfectly sane human being when your neighbors walk by as you are posing in front of your house, the fact that you would lose all your readers if you posted in the sweatshirt and yoga pants that you prefer to the cute mixed pattern/pop of color/trendy masterpiece you created. Yeah, most of the time it's great fun, but sometimes it sucks a big one. Today it was freezing, and I mean FREEZING! I rolled on down to the park and even left the car on so it would stay warm while I was taking photos. After five minutes of being out in the wind, I was so totally over the adorable outfit that I was excited about putting together earlier. The rings on my fingers were so cold that they hurt my hands and I was two seconds away from snot dripping down my face. I spilled my coffee all over my arm. Too bad it wasn't hot any longer, and then, it started sleeting. I got fed up with this so-called photo shoot, drove straight to the grocery, and got all the ingredients for a big ole lasagna. The second I got home, before I put the groceries in the fridge, I changed into my sweatshirt and yoga pants immediately.

With that being said, we are in the Virgin Islands for Thanksgiving, so this freezing cold weather couldn't have had better timing.  I have never been so ready for the beach in all my life!  It won't be all fun and play, though. One of the tasks at hand while we're there is to find a place to get married and I have no idea how that is going to turn out.  As much as I love style and design, planning is certainly not my strong suit.  I'll let you know how it goes!  In other news, and speaking of something that I'm super stoked about, WW is going to be getting a major facelift in the next couple weeks.  It's about time y'all have something prettier and more professional to look at, so I finally bit the bullet and can't wait to see the results.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!  I hope you all enjoy friends, family, and football!

Button Down: J.Crew Factory (in store only)

Vest: Target (old) this season's version

Denim: J.Crew

Bag: (no brand) via K-Sera Boutique

Boots: Dolce Vita (old)

Necklaces: Max & Chloe (use link Black20MC for 20% off!), Brina Box, K-Sera Boutique

Bracelets: J.Crew, Stella & Dot, Cara's Boutique, Hermes, Banana Republic

Rings: K-Sera Boutique

xoxo,

sarah

A Shearling Story

When I was asked to work with Methodist Richardson Medical Center Foundation and The Impeccable Pig in styling a look for their silent auction, of course I jumped at the chance!  I've been blessed to know the folks at The Foundation for a few years now and their annual Yellow and Black Tie Gala benefiting the medical and cancer centers is a wonderful event.  These men and women work tirelessly each year to put together a fabulous evening that raises money for cancer research and awareness.  The Impeccable Pig, a boutique with locations in Texas, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee graciously donated the fantastic bag in the pictures below as an auction item for this years event.  My job was to put together a look that showcased the bag, along with my favorite items from their store.  It's such an honor for me to participate in something that has a cause behind it.  A huge, giant, Texas-sized thank you to everyone involved and for the opportunity to participate.  

Now, let's talk about the clothes!! The second I walked in, I just knew that I had to style an entire outfit around this shearling vest.  I mean the bag.  Oops.  Anywho, I fell in love with the vest and lucky for me, it went flawlessly with the bag.  To be totally honest, the palazzo pants weren't my cup of tea, simply because this chick generally steers clear of prints on her booty.  The girls at The Impeccable Pig insisted that I try them, so I set my trunk junk aside and trusted them and guess what?  They were right!  These pants are not only comfortable, but they are slimming.  Yep, you heard me.  Once I threw on my big girl platforms, I had legs for days and the roll down waist band kept everything right where it needed to be.  Once we had those three pieces knocked out, I added the sweatshirt and y'all know I've never met a sweatshirt I didn't like.  I piled on some of my own accessories and voila!  A luxe boho look that is both comfy and chic.  By the way, this bag has a removable clutch inside, so it's super versatile and will go with just about any look and any color.  What do you guys think?

If you aren't familiar with The Impeccable Pig, get your can over there ASAP.  They have unique boutique clothes at great prices, not to mention some awesome jewelry and gifts!

Shearling Vest - c/o The Impeccable Pig (in store)

Sweatshirt - c/o The Impeccable Pig (in store)

Palazzo Pants - c/o The Impeccable Pig (in store & other colors here)

Bag - c/o The Impeccable Pig (in store)

Necklace - Tory Burch (old)

Hat - Forever 21(similar)

Shoes - Aldo Cybil (on sale for $12!!! no kidding!)

Bracelets - H&M (love this option, it goes with everything), J.Crew Pave' Link (option here for 1/2 price!), Stella & Dot

Rings - Francesca's, H&M

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!!

xoxo,

sarah

Straight Hair Don't Care

I've written, cried, complained, and whined about my straight hair on many, many occasions.  It's baby fine, stringy, and plastered to my head, but sometimes I just don't have the time or energy to spend on curling every.single.day.  I've tried dry shampoo, I've tried volumizing shampoo, I've had layers cut, I've tried not washing it for a week and nothing ever gets me the beautiful, long, thick tresses that Jennifer Anniston has. See the third picture?  My futile effort at back combing left a rat's nest on the back of my head.  Awesome. Nothing like the appearance of wallowing in the bed all day, right?  Bed head ain't for me, y'all. I long for thick hair that has oomph!  Do you any of you fine hair beauties have any suggestions, products, techniques that seem to work?  I'm probably well beyond repair since my hair feels like straw from heat and product exposure, but it couldn't hurt right?

Also, I wanted to give a little shout out to Benevolent Jewels, the company that I purchased this necklace from.  They have such a super cool concept and donate money back to a different cause every 3 months. What a wonderful way to pull in two passions: accessories and charity!  They have a fabulous selection of pretty things, all at an unbeatable price point,  so be sure to check them out :)

Dress: Banana Republic Tweed Fit and Flare Dress 

Jacket: F21 Street Chic Faux Leather Jacket $18.90 on sale!!

Boots: Zara, old

Bag: American Apparel Large Leather Carryall Pouch

Tights: Merona Opaque Tights

Necklace: Benevolent Jewels Frost Garden Collar Necklace use code JEWELS25 for 25% off!

** Style Note - I am very high waisted, so in BR I buy petites because the waist and hem are both way too long in a regular size**

xoxo,

sarah

This is my Edgy

I've been a blog stalker for several years now and it's always interesting to see how the style of some of my favorite fashionistas has evolved over the years.  Some go from preppy to edgy, some go from casual to dressy, and some go from obtainable to downright expensive as they become more and more popular.  The latter is super annoying in my opinion, simply because I feel like that person becomes less and less approachable and their choices can alienate parts of their audience.  Success comes with it's perks, especially in an industry that thrives on materialism.  I've caught myself (on several occasions) being addicted to "stuff" and having to really take a look at myself and scale back.  Whether it's quality over quantity, or it's simply revisiting why you decided to write your blog in the first place, it's always good to come back to earth periodically. 

I got an email from a reader and it basically said "Do you always look like this? Do you ever wear flats? Is your hair always curled?  What's your secret?" It got me thinking about who I am as a blogger and who I am as a person.  I've read a thousand posts from different gals about the "bubble effect" of a fashion blog.  It's a snapshot of how you want other people to see you from afar.  Is it biased?  Maybe a little.  Is it unrealistic?  In my case, no. My clothes, accessories, and "stuff" are a representation of who I am as a person.  I like some expensive things, but I absolutely destroy them and get the most wear for my buck.  No matter how successful or unsuccessful I am or am not, I will always shop at Target and Forever 21.  I thrive off seeing an expensive outfit in a magazine or on a website and recreating it from a lower price point so everyone can wear the look.  I'm preppy, quirky, classic, edgy about once a month, and live in my workout clothes, no makeup, and dirty hair on weekends.  Hell, I've had these boots for two years and I just started wearing them this season because I just couldn't see how they would look halfway decent on me.  There is absolutely no method to my madness and no formula to the way I dress.  I just get up in the morning and do it, solely based on how I feel that day.  And by the way, these are the most comfortable jeans I've ever worn.  For real.

One last note - I wear a ton of stuff over and over again, just in different ways, that's not necessarily a new item every single post.  These items are eventually no longer available, so I have added similar items at the price point that I purchased my item in the banner below my actual links.  If the item is still available, it will be in both places.

Tank: One Clothing via TJ Maxx

Denim: Rich & Skinny Relaxed Balboa Ankle Cropped Jeans

Boots: DV Dolce Vita Jamison Bootie via Ross

Bag: Alexander Wang Emile

Necklace: Factory Brass Plated Crystal Necklace 

Glasses: Ray Ban Aviators

Bracelets: Stella and Dot, F21

xoxo,

sarah

Back to Life

She's alive!  She's alive!!!!!  My MacBook, after two weeks in the Apple Hospital of Horrors has been resuscitated and is back beneath my fingers.  I took her with me on a business trip to Lake Tahoe in hopes of blogging and catching up on Downton Abbey and she wouldn't turn on.  At all.  No humming or lighting up.  No signs of life.  Panic at the disco, y'all!  Ends up that the whole motherboard had to be replaced!  As soon as the Apple guy said that, my mind went straight to the place it always goes - a SATC episode.  Remember when Carrie's Mac died?  Devastating. The great thing is that since these dang things are so expensive in the first place, no matter what the repair is, there is a flat rate fee of $280.  If my windows laptop or PC had this problem, I probably would be stuck buying a whole new device, so I guess it could be worse, right?

 

Enough about that drama, how was y'all's weekend?  My last two have been pretty decent because #1 - I did not travel, and #2 - there was no excessive football celebration causing a Sunday hangover.  Instead, we were extremely productive and had friends and family over for a barbeque.  I also got to catch up on season 2 of Scandal on Netflix.  Let me just say that this show is so freakin' good.  I love politics, so I love a good political drama, and on top of a great storyline, everyone is extremely well dressed.  Kerry Washington is one of the most beautiful women on the planet and they dress her impeccably from head to toe.  It's kind of the way I would want to dress if I were in a position that was super professional and high profile, but I'm not, so I get to have people stare at my mismatched patterns and bright colors every day instead.  Besides that, we are in the process of renovating two homes for sale and we ran all over kingdom come getting the finishing touches for the house.  I'll post some before and after pics as soon as it's 100% complete.

So, let's chat about this outfit right quick.  First off, if you don't have a jeweled sweatshirt, let's go ahead and knock that out right now.  I mean, a sweatshirt that you can wear to work or while you are sitting in bed during a Scandal marathon?  C'mon.  I may or may not have done both, but I wanted you to be aware of your options.  Next off, chunky heels.  I have really agonized over this one for a couple months now.  With my body shape, especially my lower body shape, I just didn't know if I could do a chunky heel.  I felt like it made my legs look even thicker and I ain't that proud of what I'm workin' to highlight it even more.  I was in J.Crew doing my usual price adjustments during the sale, and I saw these sweet heels that are basically the tall version of my patent bow flats.  They are super comfy and the best part is that they were $25.  Sold!  And these camo pants, well, I had a different pair last year and they are a little snug, so I bought a less expensive pair that I could stuff my arse in this fall instead.  Story of my life.

 

Enjoy your week!!

 

 

 

 

Sweatshirt: Factory Beaded Sweatshirt, love this and this, too!

Denim: J.Crew Faded Chambray Popover

Pants: F21 Camo Skinny Jeans, other options here and here

Heels: Factory Olive Pumps, similar with bows! 

Bag: Alexander Wang Emile Tote, budget friendly option, Celine-inspired

Bracelets: J.Crew Classic Pave' Link (this color is on sale, love it!), Stella and Dot Renegade Cluster, Humble Chic NY Spike Bracelet

 

xoxo,

sarah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Initial Transitions

The weather in Texas is finally getting down to the low 90's, which is what we call "mild" or "fall" here in the Lone Star State.  I have been so jealous of all my fellow blogger friends in different parts of the country who've been sporting snuggly sweaters and boots, so I decided that I would jump on the bandwagon today.  Although I was kind of sweating by the end of the day when I got in the car, the office was fa-reezing all day, so it kind of worked out for me.  I love the transitional time of year, as I'm sure you can see by my first article for DeltaStyle, and this outfit is the perfect example.  I wore this J.Crew skirt all summer long and it goes right into fall by replacing my airy tanks with a flannel button down, and switching strappy sandals for booties.  Easy peasy!  

So, an update from my Atlanta shopping expedition last weekend - Swank was a total tank!  I hope y'all enjoyed that rhyme.  They did have some beautiful pieces, but it was pretty scarce and there was really not too much to see and try on.  They did offer some great Mara Hoffman dresses, which are hard to come by, but other than that I was pretty disappointed.  I did visit some other boutiques close by that were more in my price point wheel house, but the best part (and a total surprise) was my visit to C.Wonder.  In case you don't know, C.Wonder was founded in 2011 by J. Christopher Burch, Tory's ex, and both the line and the store are pretty similar in terms of decor and product.  C.Wonder is at a lower price point and offers a lot of customization with monogramming, initials, etc. which this southern gal lurves.  The store was like happiness exploded in 1000 square feet!  Everyone was in a great mood, the colors were beautiful, and everything just put me in a good freakin' mood.  I so wanted to blow my wad on the home decor stuff, but I had no way of packing it in my already packed to the gils wheelie bag.  I was super psyched to see the initial belt buckles in different colors and double sided belts to go along with them.  I got my new initial-to-be in navy enamel with gold accents.  I'm being proactive people!

Top: Theory (thrifted) but love this option and this colorful plaid

Skirt: J.Crew Double Crepe Skirt

Booties: DV Dolce Vita Juju 

Bag: 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target - search ebay!

Belt: C.Wonder Reversible Nappa Leather Belt

Buckle: C.Wonder Enamel Letter Belt Buckle

Necklace: J.Crew Twisted Hammock Necklace

Bracelets: J.Crew Classic Pave' Link, Stella & Dot Renegade Cluster

xoxo,

sarah

Quick Work Look

I was in a hurry to get to the office a few days back, so I didn't have much time to primp.  I threw my hair up in a pony and put together this quick outfit for an early business meeting.  Happy Friday!!

Jacket: The Limited, old but similar

Top: J.Crew Factory Stripe Silk Popover

Pants: Old Navy, similar at Factory for $29.99!

Heels: Banana Republic Mad Men Collection, identical version from BR

Ipad Cover: Kate Spade Mani Pedi Ipad Folio

Necklace: J.Crew Factory Brass Plated Crystal Necklace

Belt: Hermes Vintage Logo Belt

Bracelets: J.Crew Classic Pave Link, Stella & Dot Renegade Cluster, vintage Hermes Kelly Bracelet , Kate Spade Hinge Bangle, Banana Republic, similar

xoxo,

sarah