WFH Style: Pulling a Kris Kross

21 Feb

When it comes to fashion, I’m a bit of a plain Jane. I like the basics… but I love to accessorize to change things up. Most of my wardrobe is simple, classic colors, cuts and patterns. What I’ve learned over the past 27 years of dressing myself is that it’s not WHAT you wear, but HOW you wear it. One of my favorite re-styles of old-goodies is to pull a Kris Kross. Yes, you read that right… I like to wear things backwards every now and then.

Take this relatively simple (yet way to short for my 5’7 frame!) dress. Wet Seal Lace Mini DressWhile I normally don’t shop Wet Seal, this was calling my name as I walked past the store about a month ago… “Ashley, buy me!” As soon as the card was swiped and my shopping bags were unloaded into my closet, I couldn’t figure out how to wear this thing without feeling like I’m dressing like a 17-year-old. In the month since I bought this dress, it’s been worn once. Once! With studded black leather booties and a black leather jacket to toughen it up. Cute, but once this bad boy was tossed in the dryer, it was a wrap. And like so many purchases in my teens, I swore off Wet Seal and promptly placed this dress in the back of my closet, to be hidden with all other “accident purchases.”

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Until today. Check it out… simple, but backwards… and while I don’t care if anyone even notices, I think it looks much better this way.

Have any of you ever tried doing this? Any thoughts? As I mentioned above, this is one of my favorite ways to re-style old items. I normally wear sweaters this way, as it’s more interesting! Try out these looks for something new :)

first image from: This Time Tomorrow         ~        second image: To The Manner Born

third image: Angela See Angela Blog                ~                                   fourth image: Venzedits

 

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The Drama’s in the Details

16 Feb

I’ve always been a fan of layering necklaces. (So that’s where my daughter gets it from…) There’s something dramatic about the long-honored trend, but not in a Mardi Gras kind of way. It’s taking the regular ole strands from your jewelry box that may not receive as much play and creating a masterpiece… on your neck!

The best part, for me at least,  is that it’s effortless looking. Even if it’s not so effortless to create.

Layered Necklace Samples

For those of you that struggle (as I know I often do!) to layer, check out the video below. And experiment!

You Tube: How To Layered Jewelry

Here’s what I’m rocking today :)

Long layers

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WFH Style – Day 1

15 Feb

After being properly admonished for not posting for some time, I’ve decided today that THIS will be the first of a series of posts on working from home and staying somewhat stylish. I promise a few things:

  1. I will not be wearing heels everyday. My life outside the home office does not allow for it.
  2. I will include my lazy-to-the-core, but oh so adorable pup Gabriella.
  3. I may not have much to say daily… but I will post a few pics for your pleasure :)

As many of you know, I’ve been working from home since November, in an effort to tackle a family issue. While I love working from home, there are a few aspects of it I could do without. I spent the past few years getting fresh to death to roll into the office Monday through Friday, tackling daycare drop-off for my munchkin and cradling coffee on a 45-minute commute into the office. Nowadays, my office is right down the hallway from my closet. My daycare drop-off requires a 15 minute walk to and from Little Diva’s school. Before the home office, I could spend many days bouncing from my desk to a conference room to a co-worker’s desk and back! Now, I spend many days on back to back conference calls, puppy potty runs and the occasional mid-day jog (if my schedule allows).

What’s a girl to do?! Well, that’s where the following blogs have come as inspiration.

http://thehandcraftedlife.blogspot.in/search/label/working%20from%20home

http://fashionista-next-door.com/category/home-office-style

http://considermelovely.com/

Let’s get down to business! Day one includes a slim-fitted Ralph Lauren top, Express net sweater, American Eagle boyfriend jeans and brown tie-up booties. My rating, based on dog-walkability, comfort and ease: 8 out of 10.

Home Office Style Day 1

 

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If my life were a song…

29 Dec

I’d want it to be Tuca Tuca, the Pink Martini version. Ahhh how I love this group and their sound.

Shoutout to…

10 Dec

What Would Zooey Deschanel Wear

Ahhh how I love your style Zooey Deschanel! I can’t quite figure out who the blogger is, but I LOVE this site!! Great job and please, keep up the inspiring looks!

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Santa, Here’s My Christmas List

6 Dec

I’ve been an awful good girl this year… for the most part. Christmas is only a few weeks away; I hope I’m not too late turning in my list! I know the elves know just where to go, but Santa, if you get lost, click the photos to go buy the items :)

Side Bow Echo Touch Glove

As I mentioned in previous posts, I like to stay warm without looking like the Michelin man. I’d also like to be able to use my (touchscreen) phone! That’s not asking for too much, is it? Santa, hook me up! For just $32, I could be warm, use my digits AND still have a feminine glove.

The gloves are wool/nylon with the “eLink” fabric on the thumbs and forefingers. I take a medium… and not to be picky, but of the 10 colors available, I love the fuchsia!

Also available in terracotta,  lagoon blue, dark brown, taupe, black, light olive, blue ultra, grey heather and madder red.

Limited Edition Koons Creme de CorpsLtd Edition Koons Creme de Corps

Santa, if you’ve stalked read this blog every now and then you know I LOVE me some Kiehl’s Creme de Corps. It is seriously the best thing for dry winter skin since my mama used Johnson & Johnson’s on me as a baby.

In this limited holiday edition, Kiehl’s partnered with American artist (and Central PA born – heeeey!) Jeff Koons to feature his iconic art on their skin-quenching bottles from heaven. Not only are they pretty cool looking, but 100 percent of the proceeds to The Koons Family Institute on International Law and Policy, an initiative of the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC.)

Santa, not only would you be helping my skin, you’d be saving the children. Do it for the children.

 Donna Karan Alpaca-Blend Cascade CoatDonna Karan Cascade Coat

 I’ll be honest, I’m stealing the idea for how I want to wear this from some chick spotted walking with Usher about a month ago. The coat is timeless.

It can be worn now, early spring AND fall! Not to mention that it’s chic, it’s ribbed and has a too cool draped collar. I’d dress it up, throw a belt on it, wear it with my army cargos! Santa, hook me up!?!

Hey, even a generous gift card to Neiman Marcus would make my Christmas!

OH! And I almost forgot. If you don’t mind Santa, I’ll take a handsome, intelligent man who knows how to fix stuff under the tree too… I’m just saying :)

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Winter Woes

2 Dec

Not sure if you all got the memo, but it’s officially cold. As a born and raised Northeastern gal, I should be used to this right? Wrong. I’m still trying with every bone in my body to stay warm without looking like I’m trying too hard. Which is, of course, really hard! After all, check out the little diva and how she’s decided to manage:

Aniya Staying Warm

Extreme weather and I really don’t get along. (silently thanking God I don’t have to take a trip to Minneapolis this January…) I’m forced to make decisions like “Do I really want usage of alllll 10 digits or will mittens suffice?” Or even worse, I have to decide between hat hair or that amazing look I tried out before the wind/snow/sleet hit it. Ahh, decisions, decisions. Here’s what I’m doing so far…

Winter Gear

1. Tube scarf – when a regular scarf is just too difficult. 2. Slouchy hats – what’s more “I wanna stay warm but look chill” than this?! 3. Fingerless gloves – because who really wants to commit to having to fingers to like, do stuff with?

Every winter, I tell myself no more coats too. Let me give you a glimpse into my world: last winter I had 2 parkas, one black, one army green; 2 giant puffy coats, one short, one long; 2 peacoats, one black, one tan; 1 über dressy coat I never wore and about 7 leather jackets (3 black, 2 brown, 1 tan, 1 a fashionable teal)… for days that were 50+ degrees. Enough is enough. After the big closet purge of Spring 2011, I cut it all down. But there’s one thing I’m dying to get. Well, make that a few things:

Luckily, I don’t have the closet space for all three. Guess I’m forced to decide what I need versus what I want. Le sigh.

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Talk About Commitment: Monochrome Dressing in a Modern Age

30 Nov

Coming into the office one day a week always provides me with a few notes for this blog. I could be having the most out-of-my-mind brain fart for fashion and design ideas… in one walk through the floors of my office, it all changes. This week’s inspiration is one of my favorite project managers. She’s sweet, she’s always cheerful, but most of all, she’s committed to her one-color-a-day outfits. I love it!

Just a heads up, if you want to try her look, be forewarned: you can’t get this right without venturing to the right side of wrong. You’re just one faded color, one dated pair of slacks, one matching eyeshadow away from becoming a mockery. I don’t know how this woman manages to do it every day. Honestly. It seems like it would be such hard work! Today she had on all green, from the shell under her forest green blazer to the blazer itself and matches cigarette pants… even the shoes were a mixture of lime and forest green. Her make-up? Smoky bronze.

All this had me ready to give it a go myself. But first, I have to work out the execution. Just how does one make it through Philly, let alone ANY city or town, in all one color without being harassed, questioned or asked by tourist for a quick photo-op?! In 2008, NY Magazine sat down with a few folks who do it every day (click the photo below for the link to the story).

Photos by Tina Tyrell for NY Magazine, Spring 2008

So just how does someone make this work… by trial and error! Let me tell you folks, Google is a helluva tool. Check out the looks I found below. With these as my guide, I think I’m going to give it a go next week. What’s the worst that could happen?

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Office Update… Already!

29 Nov

I spend close to 40 hours in my home office (yes, even when going into the actual office one day a week) and if any of you know me like I know me, you understand I get visually bored easily! Staring at the mostly white furniture, the beige walls and the wooden floors of my office make me feel like I’m in a nightmare. That’s when it’s time for some inspiration…which will potentially be followed by thrifting and some sidewalk shopping!!

 

 

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Trends for Real Life

28 Nov

Next week marks a full month that I’ve been working from home 4x a week. Before November, I placed careful thought into what I wore each day…dressing based on weather, mood, how well my car was running and if I thought I’d have to hike it back to Manayunk (that’s another story)! My Philly-area office isn’t the epitome of style or fashion (belee-dat!) and while I didn’t feel the need to “dress to impress,” I did dress for success. Or I tried. Nowadays, not so much. Part of it is timing… the other part is well, laziness. Here’s why:

5:15 -5:30am - wake up, scrub up, throw on something, walk dog.

6:00am - wake Little Diva up, scrub her up, do her hair

6:30am - feed Little Diva something.. anything… hell even a granola bar. My will to compromise  is weak at 6:30.

7:00am - walk Little Diva to preschool, swing by my favorite cafe for caffeine and some human interaction that doesn’t involve doll babies, nap schedules or updating marketing components for the upcoming year.

7:30am to 4:30pm – alternate between thinking work, mindless work, dog walking and conference calls. Coupled with a noon jog (when I remember) the day flies by!

4:45pm - pick up Little Diva, prep dinner and playtime.

The rest of my evening consists of feeding the children (kid and dog), long walks around the neighborhood, playing dolls and talking about school/feelings/boogers/movies/upcoming activities. We also manage to escape the house to visit family, but the talk is generally the same. As much as I love fashion, I need to find a way to squeeze in time for it again!!

Normally, “real style” blogs feature the real style of these crazy beautiful models, stylists and musicians caught on the street. (Did I miss a memo? When did models become real people! Lol!) These days, I’ve been tossing on my favorite boots or leopard flats, jeans (yes, and I abhor jeans) and either a sweater or an old graphic tee and wrap sweater. Let me also mention I walk everywhere in my neighborhood… my looks must equal mugger-proof. While this is majorly comfy, it’s nowhere near anything to blog about in the fashion arena. After some careful thinking, I’m ready to get back to real world. I only need a few things Here are the things I need for my arrival.

Things I Want!

Interesting wedges. Because honestly, I am not walking the nearly 10 blocks from home to the little one’s school in stilettos.

Feminine touches. I like ruffles. I’m not afraid to admit it.

Colored Jeans. This is one trend that I’ve been dying to try every 5-7 years it comes back around, but never summon up the courage! This may be the year! Lol

Relaxed Silhouettes. I’m all about comfort… what can I say!

Anything I should add to the list? Help me out!!

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