Looks for Less!

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Create the looks of the season using pieces from your own closet!

You probably have a few pairs of jeans & a tee-shirt or two in your closet that you never wear! Well let's recreate them into something super chic and stylish! Why let them go to waste?

I recently scoured the web for a relatively inexpensive pair of the latest jeans with the uneven & frayed hem. I did't find anything I loved and decided this is a look I can make myself. And here are the easy steps so you can too! 

What you'll need:

  1. Sharp scissors that will cut fabric
  2. Seam ripper or pointy scissors (like nail scissors)
  3. Iron

Here are the steps you will take:

  1. Rip the hem seam open with the seam ripper or nail scissors
  2. Iron the hem flat. If the hem doesn't lay flat, you can try dampening the hem and then iron.
  3. Using your sharp/fabric scissors cut the front of the hem about an inch up along the side-seams. Make sure you leave the back of the pants longer. 
  4. Fray the cut edges to create the look we are all lusting over right now!
  5. Then, add holes or distressing to the pant legs as desired. (My jeans already had some holes & distressing but I cut open one of the holes and made it much bigger to emulate the look of the jeans I wanted!) 
  6. Tip - YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD MORE HOLES BUT YOU CAN NEVER TAKE AWAY HOLES. So keep trying the jeans on and making sure you like what you are doing before you do it. But let loose and have fun! Remember, you never wore these jeans anyway, they've been just sitting in your closet collecting dust.
  7. Finally, WASH the jeans. This will help make all the edges look more worn and help them fray more.  

For the shirt, I used an old white tee shirt I bought for the summer but it wasn't the best fit and I rarely wore it. I've been lusting after the distressed white tee for a while now. I have one that I wear to workout but it's a little dingy looking now and I didn't want to invest in a new one.

So take your seam ripper and scissors and get to work!

  1. First, start with distressing the seams & hems of the sleeves and bottom of the tee. Cut small slits in them and small holes.
  2. Then take your seam ripper or nail scissors and create holes along the neckline and above the hem.
  3. Make small holes with seam ripper or nail scissors on the body of the shirt. Space the holes around unevenly on the front and back of the tee. *You can create the small holes by just pulling up on a couple of thread and cutting them... These aren't large holes; mostly small little nicks and cuts. Make them different sizes to create your desired look.
  4. Finally, I cut the side-seam to open up the hem of the shirt. I never liked how it sat on my hips so the was my chance to make it what I liked! 
  5. This is something you can wear all season long!!

Here is how to tie the look all together!

Get the rest of this look!
Sam Edelman Shoes, Nasty Gal Choker

By the way! Try an old college tee or black jeans.. this look with work on any of them! Just use my pictures as inspiration and have fun!

Affordable Fall Staples

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I've been on the hunt for chic and comfy fall fashions that won't put a dent in your wallet. Here's an amazing outfit I picked up for tonight's mom's night out (that got cancelled BUMMER!!) But I'm offering up the details for all of you. Stay tuned for more of my affordable outfit ideas on the blog! 

BTW These faux leather leggings are so flattering and comfortable you can EAT whatever you'd like at your dinner date and they still look just as amazing. So go for it & enjoy!

The Start of Fall Fashion: Transitional Pieces

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 Buy this look! J.Crew Pant, White tank, Lace up sandals, Maxi Cardigan

There have been a few days when you can feel the bit of chill in the air. And after all it is actually fall now. 

Here are a few key pieces you can use to help transition out of your summer wardrobe and into your fall fashions.

1. Cropped pant - Cropped jeans and pants are really trending right now. This look goes well with a small heel or wedge. Here I have on a pair of wide leg cropped pant by J.Crew.  This pant is light enough to wear during hot spell yet gives you the coverage you need on a chillier day.

2. Lace up sandal- Lace up the leg sandals and shoes have been here for a while but I don't see it going away any time soon. Try this with this seasons it pant.. the cropped/cut off jeans. They are a perfect match.

3. Long Layers- Last winter we saw this trend and I see it staying around for fall. Here I've layered on a soft & comfy maxi cashmere sweater over my tank and cropped pant. It's a nice match of summer chic but gearing up for the colder temperatures. 

*Thanks to Brinkley for taking this pic of mommy today so I could write this post:) 

My Local Finds

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Buy this look! Here is a link to similar styles Gold Leaf Earrings

I love finding cool and unique things whenever I travel. These days I really don't have time to shop but on this trip we happened to stumble into a cute little boutique at the marina in Cap Cana (the location of the ONLY ATM machine in the entire area). 

I wasn't looking to buy anything but when I saw these oh so pretty earrings I knew I had to have them.  

They will always be special to me and remind me of this amazing vacation.

Fitness Fashion

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Get this look
Pant Lulu Lemon, Top Lulu Lemon , Shoes Nike , Denim Jacket , Sunglasses Illesteva

Don't have time to change after squeezing in a morning workout? Or maybe you plan on working out later in the day? Or maybe you are just wearing your workout clothes because you'll be "running" around with the kids all day and want to be comfortable. 

Well, here are 3 quick ideas that will help you dress up even the most comfortable of outfits.

Three Do's -

  1. Add a layering piece - Jacket, sweater, and long sleeve shirt can be worn or tied around your waste
  2. Sunglasses - sunglasses are a must after a workout. They automatically make you look stylish and can either be worn or just used as an accessory. 
  3. Let that hair down! - Shake out your hair and add some dry shampoo. It will automatically liven up your look.

Top Knots and Chokers

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Get this look

Dress Diane Von Furstenburg , Necklace Nasty Gal

Tired from a long day? Too exhausted to socialize? This was me for a long time. But recently I decided it was important for me to make more of an effort to be there for my friends. Friends I've had for years but haven't seen and for building new relationships with new moms. But getting ready to go out can be so exhausting and makes canceling look very appealing. Well, I've tried out some new trends that are all the rage and I've used them to my advance for making this tired mom look ready for a night out!

I started out by picking a pretty aqua off the shoulder dress from last summer when I  was pregnant (its not maternity but its flowy and comfy)...  Stick to something you know you'll feel good in. Then all you have to do it snaz it up!

1. Top Knot - My hair was a MESS and I really had no time to shower and wash/dry/style so I threw it up in to a top knot. This look is super stylish right now. And totally works for the tired mom. It takes just second and works for any hair type. 

* Start with a high pony tail on the top of your head. Then instead of twisting the hair into a bun, you just start to wrap the pony tail around itself. Secure the wrapped hair with a neutral colored hair tie or bobbie pins. I also like to pull out a couple pieces around my ears to look a little messy.

2. Choker - Then I paired this look with a gold choker necklace I recently bought on Nasty Gal.  A necklace always looks great when the hair is pulled back. And chokers are super stylist at the moment. But try sticking to something that is simple, sleek and sophisticated. And doesn't look like you are trying too hard. 

This look took me about 5 min to pull off. And made it look like I took forever getting ready.

Try this on your next night out! 

Destination Wedding Fashion

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A few months ago my husband and I were invited to a super chic destination wedding in Tulum, Mexico.

The wedding couple are in the fashion industry so I first I thought about wearing something I already owned but after a quick mental debate I realized that wasn't going to work. 

I had a vision that I would "blend in" with the ocean and found a dress on google images that was from Alice and Olivia a few years back. It was ombre blues and the silhouette looked right on trend for this season... I was so disappointed I couldn't get my hands on it. I called the store and asked but of course there was no way of finding something so old and they referred me to eBay or something of the like. And so I started my search  and quickly found one in my size on Ebay so it must have been my lucky day!

I have never ordered something on eBay but I took the leap of faith and ordered it. It came from Korea about a week later and fit ok however I did do minor tailoring (I mentioned the wedding couple are fashion designers) so getting the dress to fit perfectly (or at least as best I could) was important.

I paired the dress with my Chloe pearl earrings and Diane Von Furstenburg gold and plastic heels.

My hair and makeup were super easy as I traveled the day of wedding and my hair was a little dirty. So I just did a sleek middle part and tucked the front behind my ears securing the hair with blonde colored bobbie pins to hold the look for the entire night (which was full of dancing and tequila). The makeup I did was shimmering and bronze to go along with the beach themed looked. Maybe it was a little mermaid inspired too...!!! Either way it was fun and beachy and the wedding was an overall blast. 

Cheers to the happy couple! 

Hot Mom, Mom Jeans

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Yes! Mom jeans are back and they are better than ever.

I actually never would have thought that I would like this trend. I mean come on. We all know mom jeans are the ugliest and most unflattering jeans from the 90's. But as the trend started getting more main stream the more I realized that maybe its not really so bad after all. The best part is that the high waist covers your mommy tummy! Is that why they are called mom jeans in the first place? I'm not sure. But I was shopping in Soho one day and happened to see a cute pair of mom jean cut off shorts. They had all the elements of cool stylish jean shorts but they were high waisted and had the label Levi's "Weddie Fit"... I thought, thats strange? But gave it a go anyway. Well, lets just say my husband approved of these mom jeans! They really flatter your figure in all the right spots. They cover up the waist (or mommy tummy) and elongate your legs. I'm only 5'3" so I was psyched. For now I'm a fan of mom jeans however I suspect this trend might not stick around long. 

What's your take?