pumps

Floral Blazer

April 30, 2013 · By Rachel · 42 Comments

This past weekend my older sister, her fiance and my parents were in town to take care of some wedding tasks. The wedding is taking place in downtown Minneapolis in October, so they get to travel here to get everything planned. I LOVE it because that means I don’t have to travel and I still get to see my family more this year. Win, win WIN! Anyway, to run errands such as choosing the groom’s tuxedo, taking a look at the chapel and wedding photo opportunities (and grabbing a mid afternoon beer), I thought it would be a great time to wear (and show off) my new floral blazer. I paired it with plain white t-shirt (borrowed from my boyfriend), my teal skinny jeans and mint pumps. With some jewelry accents, like my favorite Lia Sophia bracelets and this gorgeous mint chain link bracelet from Sira & Mara, everything felt just right!

Do you own a floral blazer? How would you style it? I am definitely trying to figure out new ways to wear it, but I think it will be versatile piece.

At the Office

April 25, 2013 · By Rachel · 38 Comments

I am always looking for ways to mix up the typical work attire. Some days I wish I worked from home and could wear whatever I want. Not so I could wear sweats all day, but just so I could wear anything from my closet without wondering “is this professional looking” “is this long enough?” “will my feet and knees kill going up and down the stairs all day?” I want to be professional and practical yet fun at the same time. I know some people don’t like the look of layering under a dress, but I really liked the idea of this teal turtleneck from Target under a gray sheath dress to add something bright to this otherwise neutral outfit. I love neutrals, but I am always drawn to outfit inspiration that incorporates color. Anyway, with the teal and a leopard belt I felt pretty good about mixing it up at the office.

Also, I have really wanted to show up in sweatpants or jeans every day this week because the boss is out. And I really loving my new jeans, so it would have been a great week to do that. Then I remembered that HR, the CEO and other important people at work would still see me. Drats.

at the office 3

Sassy Accessories

December 11, 2012 · By Rachel · 49 Comments

Recently, I was contacted by Firmoo about trying out a pair of glasses, in my case, non-prescription glasses, and do a review on the fit and style. I LOVE the idea of wearing glasses as an accessory and honestly I have always been jealous of people who wear glasses because I think they are so adorable and can really make you look sassy! Glasses = nerdy? No… glasses = sexy! Just like a great statement necklace, bag or pair of heels, non-prescription glasse s can really make a statement and be fun with more dressy or casual outfits. I have styled a pair of non-prescription glasses I bought last year with a menswear look (seen here) so this time I wanted to style the Firmoo pair with a more casual, fun outfit! Faux leather leggings, a white blouse, chambray top and leopard print heels is an outfit I could wear all day, every day and a look I can wear out too! I absolutely love my pair of Firmoo and can’t wait to wear it with more dressy and office-appropriate looks.

If you are looking for a stylish, cute pair of prescription or non-prescription glasses, Firmoo has a wide selection where you can narrow down the options by shape, material and frame. I liked the idea of a rectangular frame and a tortoise print, similar to my favorite pair of sunglasses. If you are looking for a new pair of glasses, Firmoo offers first-time buyers a free pair (you just have to pay the shipping)! Always nice if you are looking to try something new!

The Blog’s First Birthday!

November 20, 2012 · By Rachel · 40 Comments

It is the blog’s first birthday today and I can’t believe it has been a whole year since I wrote this post on this small little space online. I honestly had no idea what I was getting into, I just knew I wanted to share my love and passion of fashion, style, beauty and LIFE on this space. The best part about it all has been getting to know others through their blogs and meetings some blogger buddies in real life! And I have many to thank…

Snakes on a Jacket

October 10, 2012 · By Rachel · 36 Comments

Okay so there really aren’t snakes on this jacket… just snakeskin print. I don’t know, sometimes I just think I’m clever and I laugh like it’s funny. This happens a lot at home and the bf doesn’t even know where it came from, what I’m thinking or what I mean by it. It comes from my mother because I act the same way my bf does when she says things sometimes and I usually end up saying “Oh Mom” but I love her, she’s the best!

Anyway, enough blabbing… so I never thought 1) that I would ever end up wearing this jacket to the office… I thought it might be a bit too crazy for the environment I work in and 2) I never thought I would wear a denim dress to the office thinking it is just too casual. Well, this outfit just goes to show that you should always push yourself to try more and be more creative with your wardrobe. If it is straight out not appropriate, it just isn’t appropriate, but I think the blend of a plain casual denim dress and the dressy features of my snakeskin jacket magically balance each other out. Let’s just say I couldn’t resist a double dose of snakeskin and added one of my go-to work shoes to this outfit, as well as an edgy necklace, a buckle belt and watch to keep the balance between work appropriate and fun/crazy. I got a compliment from a co-worker so I’m going to call it a success!

Jacket: Nordstrom Rack (Similar here) Dress: Lucky Brand (Similar here) Necklace: Target (Similar here) Watch: Nordstrom Rack- BCBGMaxaxria (Similar here) Shoes: Target (Similar here) Lipstick: YSL Rouge Volupte – Color 17 Red Muse (Buy here)

Filed Under: Outfits · Tagged: army coat, army jacket, BCBG, BCBGMaxazria, blazers, button-up dress, denim, denim dress, denim dresses, detailed jacket, dresses, embellished jacket, fall fashion, fall office style, fall style, heels, how to wear snakeskin at the office, how to wear snakeskin print, jackets, Nordstrom Rack deals, Nordstrom Rack purchases, office, office wear, pumps, reptile, reptile print, snakeskin, snakeskin apparel, snakeskin blazer, snakeskin jacket, snakeskin print, Target, Target fashion, Target finds, tights, watch, watches, work outfit, work style

Favorite VMA Looks

September 7, 2012 · By Rachel · 26 Comments

Did anyone get a chance to watch the VMAs last night, or at least see the style?! Well, I didn’t have a chance to watch them all, but I certainly was excited about some of the looks… here were a few of my favorites!

I was soooo impressed with Taylor Swift’s full white suit for two reasons: One… how chic is an all-white suit?! Two…Who would ever expect Taylor Swift to go outside of her sequin, beautiful dress comfort zone for a red carpet event? I must say she pulled it off well with a red lip, red nails and those gorgeous heels!

Polka Dot Skirt

September 5, 2012 · By Rachel · 47 Comments

Found this vintage polka dot skirt at Goodwill back home in Iowa this weekend when I went shopping with my mom… couldn’t be happier with the find and wanted to wear it right away back to work yesterday! It is cute, comfy and a great transitional piece for when the weather starts to get colder. This blouse is one of my favorites and you can look for a range of similar ladies blouses online too. Happy Wednesday

Gingham at Work

August 10, 2012 · By Rachel · 18 Comments

I wore this to work yesterday! Really wanted to incorporate my gingham in an appropriate work outfit, so wore an under tank, black skirt and my nude Steve Madden heels. I have a relaxing weekend coming up and probably being lame to get caught up on laundry At least today my group at work is taking a half day to go out to eat and play some mini golf as a thank you for the work we do… yay! Love fun days at work! I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and a great weekend!

Graduation Investments: Shopping 101

May 31, 2012 · By Rachel · 13 Comments

Since my older sister just graduated with her masters and some of my friends just graduated college, I decided it would be the perfect time to talk about some investment pieces straight out of college (or grad school). I was lost at first when I graduated because although I had a suit and collared shirts for interviewing, a lot of my wardrobe was still extremely casual. I have learned to incorporate a lot of those pieces into a more professional wardrobe, but there were still some pieces I needed to add to ensure that I was looking professional everyday. I was in a sales role at the time, so meeting with clients meant suits and looking as professional as possible. I had to learn to work my own style into some of these more professional looks, and it has taken some time but I finally feel good about my work wardrobe! Here are just some of my suggestions for shopping investments once you graduate!

The suit: A suit is the most important investment you can make after graduation. #1 you should be wearing something extremely professional to your interviews and I have always worn my suit for the interview. I just don’t think you can be too professional. If you want to stand out more, use a bright colored blouse, bow blouse, necklaces and heels to make you stand out. The suit screams “HIRE ME!” #2 If you are going into a job with professional wardrobe guidelines, a suit is going to save the day and make you look good as you are starting out in the real world. Now you are probably asking, “Why do I need to invest in a suit if I am working in a more casual environment and don’t have to get dressed up everyday?” My answer: SEPARATES! Whether or not you sit in a cube all day or meet with clients, having a blazer to dress up jeans or a pencil skirt/pair of slacks to wear on a daily basis with a more basic tee, the suit will serve you well. If you are hesitating to invest, why don’t you ask Barney from How I Met Your Mother, perhaps he will change your mind about the suit!

Reader Question: Blazer, Skinny Jeans & Heels

May 8, 2012 · By Rachel · 13 Comments

Recently a reader told me about her birthday party theme (Blazers, skinny jeans and heels) and wanted to know what some fun, stand out combinations could be to make her stand out at her party. I sent her six options (some with regular blue jeans and then the above options with colored denim). I wanted to share the looks I came up with colored denim because I think they are a great option for a night out with girlfriends this spring and summer!