Wearable Trends for Fall

I’ve finally done my research, read multiple magazines, visited a million websites and come up with a list of wearable trends for Fall…

Here are my findings:

Lace

Suzi Chin Maggy Boutique Dress (Nordstrom)

En Creme Lace Illusion Dress (Nordstrom BP)

Polka-Dot

Polka-Dot Cardigan (Juicy Couture)

Oasis Geometric Spot Scarf (Asos)

Camo/Military

Aryn K. Zipper Jacket (Mod Cloth)

Filma Cargo Pants (Shoplesnouvelles.com)

Faux Fur

Fauz Fur Sweater Dress (Ann Taylor)

Sanctuary Rockin' Natalie Fauz Fur Vest (Nordstrom)

Bow Blouses

Bow Blouse (Vince Camuto)

Wrap Around Blouse (Anthropologie)

Bold Color/Colored Skinny Jeans

Mid-Rise Skinny Jeans (JBrand)

Sweetheart Ottoman Top (Bebe)

Mid-Rise Skinny Jeans (JBrand)

High Neck Feather Halter (Bebe)

Eastern Market: Weekend Flix

So I went to Eastern Market on Saturday (early afternoon) after a much needed mani/pedi with a friend of mine. It was so incredibly hot that I really didn’t enjoy Eastern Market as much a I normally would have…I definitely should have worn a sun dress!! I had fun nonetheless and had a delicious lunch at Mr. Henry’s,  a Pub right on Pennsylvania Avenue. Loved it!!! Check out the pictures below:

Couldn’t Go to Eastern Market with Dry Feet! LOL

What I am Wearing:

Shirt: Wet Seal, Earrings: 4NXChange Boutique, Sunglasses: Michael Kors, Jeans: Vigoss, Shoes: Coach, Watch: Michael Kors, Handbag: Coach.

Chocolate Accessories

Usually brown is always one of my fall go-to colors, but I’ve recently noticed that designers are coming out with accessories (jewelry) made of brown metal.  I guess the Rose Gold fad wasn’t enough, and now everyone is making their own chocolate colored accessories. Check some of them out below:

 From Left to Right: Michael Kors Expresso Runway Timepiece, Nordstrom Multi Row Necklace in Chocolate, and Spring Street Design Group Spike and Mixed Chain Bracelet.

From To Left to Right: Alexis Bittar Dome Ring, Cara Accessories Multi Media Bangles, and Spring Street and Design Group Mesh and Fringe Earrings

From Left to Right: Givenchy Vangard Necklace, Donnijo Ring, Donnijo Earrings, and Christian Dior Earrings.

Other Accessories that go great with these pieces:

From Left to Right: Michael Kors Double Wrap Bracelet, Free Authority Straw Fedora Hat in Brown, and Halogen Sunglasses.

Image Credits: Style.com and Nordstrom.com

Jackets and Things…

Here are some must-have jackets I have my eyes on. Though Fall isn’t here yet, it is quickly approaching and we must be prepared!!

I am totally obsessed with these jackets (especially the leather ones) from Anthropologie and Nordstrom…Check them out below:

Be sure to start shopping for Fall early because fab items like these will sell out quick! Happy shopping! XOXO

Image Credits: Anthropologie/Nordstrom

Pieces of Me

I’ve been in my new apartment for about 5 months now and it is finally starting to look like I actually live there! I can’t show you everything but here are some tid bits of my living room you may enjoy…

My fav wine (Bug Juice...Moscato D'Asti) and my fav vase

Ms. Quest Artwork on my Mantel

Vases

My Bookshelf...This is not all of my books though...Lol

Close Up of Ms. Quest's Painting

More Books/Mags and Journals

Loves this Table...

More Vases

The Best Seat in the House...

My walls are still pretty bare (kind of depressing) but I am working on getting some more art work together. I’ve actually been playing with the idea of doing my own art on canvas…I might be the next Dali! Lol…You never know!

Anywhoo, Smooches until next time….XO

B&N Nook/The Frugalista Files

I recently purchased the Barnes and Noble touchscreen Nook and I am so excited about it. Although I am a huge fan of www.amazon.com I decided not to get the Kindle. I’ve found that Barnes and Noble is much more accessible if you need any help with your device. The Nook is tiny, very light weight and extremely easy to read and navigate. They also have some of the most adorable covers to go with it…Check mine out below:

The first book I am reading on my Nook is The Frugalista Files by Natalie McNeal. I stumbled upon this book and her blog in the midst of checking out one of my favorite bloggers who listed McNeal’s site on her daily reads list. When I found out what it was all about, I downloaded a sample of it and since I couldn’t stop laughing, I went ahead and purchased it.

The Frugalista Files is a book on how McNeal was able to get out of debt while still maintaining her fabulous lifestyle. McNeal let’s us in on her saving secrets as well as makes us laugh about her past struggles with spending. The book is written in the form of journal entries so you feel like you’re reading her diary, which is very blunt, genuine and honest. Loves it!!

Check out her blog: http://www.thefrugalista.com/

Quick Post: My B-Day Nails

I was feeling really fiesty (in a good way) on my birthday (August 5th) so I decided to do a bright red color with some leopard print accented nails…Check it out below:

I used Sally Hansen’s Salon Effects in Kitty, Kitty and Color Club’s Jackie Oh!

Talk to you all soon…Gotta hurry and get to my movie…going to see The Help tonight! Wish me luck on getting a ticket and a good seat! Lol…XOXO

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June – July Beauty Haul/Favorites

I’m not going to list all of the beauty products I’ve purchased over the past 2 months, but I will list the ones I think are noteworthy. Let’s start with the make-up…

Make-Up:

Urban Decay Naked Palette – I’ve been wanting this palette for quite some time. It has very nuetral colors that work well for me since I don’t wear bright colors on my eyes. It comes with an eyeshadow brush and a small bottle of Urban Decay Primer Potion. Great for brown smokey eye looks. (Sephora, $48)

Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eyeliner Pen – I love this eyeliner. It goes on very smooth and is quite easy to use. I have oily lids, and with many other eyeliners, if I don’t have on eyeshadow my eyeliner transfers onto my upper lid, which looks terrible. This eyeliner doesn’t do that at all. Loves it! (Target, About $7)

Maybelline Falsies Flared – I would def say that this mascara is comparable to many department store mascaras (i.e. YSL Faux Cils, which I’ve previously blogged about). This mascara elongates my lashes and gives me a lot of volume without clumping. (Target About $6)

Nail Polish:

 

Here is the list of the nail polish from left to right:

1. China Glaze – Fairy Dust (Sally’s, About $3.99)
2. Revlon – Pink Chiffon (Target, About $3.75)
3. China Glaze – Flip Flop Fantasy (Sally’s, About $3.99)
4.  Forever 21’s Love and Beauty – Light Aqua (Forever 21, $2.80)
5. Forever 21’s Love and Beauty – Pink (Forever 21, $2.80)
6. Forever 21’s Love and Beauty – Periwinkle (Forever 21, $2.80)

Choosing the Right Handbag (Part Two)

As readers of my blog you should already know that I would recommend that you buy your handbags at Nordstrom. Their customer service is phenomenal and their return policy is amazing. However, I am not crazy enough to think that other department stores don’t have similar return policies. Just be sure to find out what the return policy is before purchasing because if you are going to spend a lot of money on your handbag, you will want to be able to bring it back if something goes wrong. Other department stores where you can find nice handbags are Neiman Marcus, Saks, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and Lord and Taylor.

You should also check out stores like Off Saks 5th Ave., Filene’s Basement, Loehmann’s, Neiman Marcus Last Call, and Nordstrom Rack. You can find a lot of discounted handbags from previous seasons there. Outlets are also a great way to save money on name brand items so be sure to check them out as well.

Last but not least, if you live near any boutiques or thrift shops don’t sleep on them. They just might have exactly what you are looking for. Thrift shops are hit or miss, but most of the time boutiques will have very unique, one of a kind, handmade bags that aren’t heavily manufactured so you won’t have to worry about seeing another woman carrying your bag.

Sidenote: If you choose to purchase handbags through websites like Ebay, be very careful because not everyone is honest and it is easy to be deceived online. Check the sellers return policy as well as their ratings before bidding.

Brands:

I am a huge fan of coach (especially the Madison satchels, which is why I own three of them)!! Other brands I love are Guess Marciano, Marc Jacobs, Betsey Johnson, Steven by Steve Madden, L.A.M.B., and Juicy Couture. These are mainly the brands that I actually own, but there are many others that I like…however, I won’t bore you with all the extra commentary.

Final Tips:

My sister always makes the joke that all my handbags have bags (i.e. dust bags), which I think is hilarious, but totally necessary!! You don’t want your bags to get dusty when you are not wearing them so you should definitely make sure that you place them in a dust bag when storing them in your closet.

Now for the fun stuff…Here are a few bags that are on my wish list…for whatever reason I am obsessed with Marc Jacobs at the moment! This first one I am definitely going to purchase!

Marc by Marc Jacobs Patent Leather Satchel

Burberry Leather Satchel

Coach Satchel

Michael Kors Leather Hobo

Images Credits: Nordstrom, Juicy Couture and Style.com

Choosing the Right Handbag (Part One)

 I initially started my blog in 2009 with the intent of sharing my handbag obsession with the rest of the world. I can shop with the best of them, but now I try to be more cautious about how I spend my money. I don’t impulsively purchase every handbag that tickles my fancy anymore.

First, I consider how long the bag is going to last versus the price. I try to avoid buying cheaply-made bags because I know they aren’t going to last. After you’ve purchased a handful of cheap handbags, you might as well have just saved up for a quality one. Don’t get me wrong though, I am not saying that a big name has to be attached to a bag for it to be considered good quality. Sidenote: I also don’t buy knockoffs…I think it is disingenuous and faux fabulous, but that is a post for another day.

How to Choose Them:

When choosing a handbag, you not only have to consider the price and longevity but you also need to consider your lifestyle. Ask yourself a few questions…Do you carry a lot of things with you on a daily basis? If so, then you may want to consider carrying a large satchel or tote. Do you carry only the bare essentials (i.e. license, keys, debit card, and lipbalm)? If you require very little, then you may want to consider a cross body bag or wrislet. If you go out often, then you may want to invest in some clutch purses as well so that you can leave your grandma purse at home when you go out for a night on the town. What color are you looking for? Go for neutral colors (i.e. black, brown, tan, cognac, etc.) if you are just starting your handbag collection. Otherwise, choose whatever color you want! Don’t be afraid to step outside the box , it’s just a handbag! Let it be another reflection of your personality like the rest of your accessories. Just be mindful of the fact that color from your clothing can transfer onto your handbag (i.e. if you wear dark denim the dye can transfer onto your bag). So be careful with the lighter toned leather handbags.

You also must be mindful of the way in which a bag is made. Does it have a lot of  hardware? Remove all of the tissue (provided that it actually has tissue in it…displays usually do)  and see how heavy it feels when it’s empty. If the handbag is heavy and you haven’t actually put your personal belongings in it yet then you may want to reconsider. Handbags with  a lot of hardware and embellishments are cute but will be a hardship on your shoulders and forearm after a short while. Look at the straps, examine the quality of the stitching on the entire bag. Make sure that the quality of the handbag is up to par.

Lastly, look at the price!! Don’t waste time falling in love with a bag that you cannot afford (although there is nothing wrong with dreaming)! It is better to be prepared so have a price range in mind before you step foot into a department store or you will easily get sidetracked and end up overspending (trust me, I know!). It doesn’t have to be exact, but you do want to have an idea of what you’re going to spend.

To be continued…

I hope this information  is helpful to you. Stay tuned for part two of this post…I will tell you where to find the most fabulous and affordable bags. I’ll also show you what handbags are currently on my wishlist! Smooches!! XOXO

Image Credits: Neiman Marcus