HauteStandards

Campus Ideas

2012-09-21T20:43:00.002-07:00

It is official, school and work have taken over my life during the last several months. But now that intense summer school is over and the Fall Semester has finally settled into a groove I am noticing I neglected HauteStandards for too long. My goal is to allow myself a little time to express myself creatively every week to keep myself sane. I noticed I have not given myself a creative outlet in the last couple months and I think my soul is bleeding a little because of it.

Well for those of you who do not know, I began my MBA recently and I am loving it so far. The only down side... Accounting. But what I am falling more and more in love with is the fact that creativity is infused into EVERYTHING I do. I thought Business Students getting their Masters had to be stuffy and look at everything with a simple minded numbers only point of view, but that is not the case at all. Professors want your input, as crazy as the idea may be, just to get you to flip the problem upside down and look at it from a new angle. Summing up my first few weeks.. LOVE LOVE LOVE.. (and my Accounting course is Kind of O.K.)

And this leaves me at the root of my topic today. How an MBA stays a Fashionista. Well I guess I would call myself a (somewhat) fashionista. For One: Although I have class at 8:30 every morning M-Th I still get up and get ready. This means that I do not wear Gym Clothes, or Sweats and my hair is not in a pony tail because it is dirty or greasy. Going back to college has made me realizes several horrible mistakes so many men and women make while on campus. Even though you are not going to work or required to wear a uniform, STILL LOOK PRESENTABLE!

In absorbing all of the undergraduate and graduate fashion faux pas first hand I have decided to provide a list of appropriate comfortable and school appropriate clothing options to wear.

All of these can be found here at J.Crew. I LOVE this store and wish I could own everything they have. But I love all of these outfits because they are classic, comfortable and college appropriate!

-B.Weber

15 Summer To-Do's

2012-05-14T11:36:00.003-07:00

Watch a movie at the Oscars Outdoors or Cinespia

I have heard about these movies for a while, and since this summer I am not in the process of moving, it will finally fit into my schedule. It is the perfect summer date night--Bring a blanket, a cooler with some food and drinks and watch a classic film under the stars. Could it get more romantic?

Play bocce ball while trying a new BBQ recipe from Grill Grrl

Well bocce ball is a favorite game of mine on the beach, but I think it would be great as a backyard game while throwing a BBQ with friends. I recently stumbled upon the Blog Grill Grrl and have become obsessed. All of her recipes are easy and look delicious.. definitely trying some of these out this summer.

Thrift shopping around L.A.

Out of the closet, Buffalo exchange, Ozzie Dots…maybe even hit up a flea market

Take a cooking class/Drink making class with friends, Hipcooks?
Train for Disney Half-Marathon

This will be my second Half-Marathon and I am really excited because this one is through DISNEYLAND on Labor Day weekend! My boyfriend and I jumped on board and are in the early stages of training. I am a religious runner so I do not foresee any issues with being ready in time, just a lot of longer runs in my future. (This training will carry over into training for my Nike Women's Half-Marathon in October) A little over 100 days to go!

Add to my seashell collection (Soak up some sun at the beach!) Manhattan, Laguna, Redondo, Newport... the possibilities are endless!

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What I Wore: Turband

2012-05-10T15:41:00.004-07:00

Work, Work, Work. I cannot wait for the weekend! Over the next couple weeks I am in a big transition because I will be leaving my current position and will be taking a few summer courses/starting my Grad Assistant position in preparation of beginning my full time MBA program this fall. Ekks.

Well I am certainly going to miss the flexibility to wear whatever I want everyday. My outfits may turn more business/business casual in a couple weeks but don't worry, I will still be sure to infuse my own style.

Well all I had time for today was this quick photo. Easy Turband made out of a scarf my Boyfriend brought back from a street vendor in France. It is the perfect lightweight material, perfect to wear as a Turband, small neck scarf, tie onto a handbag or just to throw over my hair at the beach.

What I Wore

Shirt: Old Navy

Jeans: BDJ Skinny

Turband: No Brand from a French Street Vendor

Happy Thursday!

-B Weber

What I Wore: Dark, Dramatic Lips

2012-05-09T14:06:00.004-07:00

So today's What I Wore is not as much about my outfit, but more about my lip color. I keep seeing these dark, dramatic lips and I have been dying to try it out.

However, in my attempts I did not want to shell out money for lipstick and then never wear it (I finally am learning my lesson!), so I improvised.

Sheer lip-gloss mixed with Urban Decay's "Rockstar" eye shadow and Voila--Instant dramatic lip color. It is definitely not a lip color that is going to pass the test of time, but it lasted long enough!

Excuse my headband, it was a run out the door kinda day and so it was my attempt to tame my crazy hair into a work appropriate hair-do.

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What I Wore: Asian Inspiration

2012-05-08T15:44:00.000-07:00

Today was a crazy day, I was offered a Graduate Assistant position allowing me to work on campus while I am going to school for my Masters. I'm so blessed that it is all coming together exactly how I hoped it would and I cannot wait to start my new job in a few weeks. I also start a few classes over the summer which I am less than thrilled about, but they will hopefully be fast and painless. Sometimes I wonder if I am totally crazy for going back to school, but then I think that this is where I am meant to be right now and I am so glad I have family and friends to fall back on for support along the way.

This Asian Inspiration look was a throw together look that I topped off with the awesome Asian Style Blazer I found thrift shopping. The blue color gives the outfit a nice punch of color while everything else is pretty neutral. I recently got a new camera (and by recent I mean Christmas) and am finally figuring out all the cool features it has, hence the cool edging and antiqued colors.

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Top 5 Obsessions

2012-05-07T22:47:00.001-07:00

1. Sprinkles Cupcake Mixes--Created by Sprinkles, the beloved cupcake shop that started in Beverly Hills, these mixes let you make the most popular varieties of Sprinkles' moist, flavorful cupcakes. Williams and Sonoma sell the delectable mixes in chocolate, red velvet, vanilla, banana, and lemon. Yum. Link

2. City Wall Art--Art that tells a story is the best way to decorate your place, now that I am slowly collecting "grown up" pieces and building my place to be my own I have become obsessed with unique wall art. I want to try and make this a DIY project (perhaps in a future post) and name all of the places I have visited/want to visit in the future. Great conversation starter when having people over. Link

3. Chevron Pattern-- I keep seeing the Chevron pattern everywhere, handbags, jewelry, skirts, blouses. So far I do not own anything with the Chevron print, but I cannot wait to get my hands on something this powerful and eye popping. Link

4. Personalized Business Cards-- I saw these mentioned in May's Issue of Marie Claire and I am obsessed and want to order some ASAP. Minted has some pretty amazing varieties perfect for anyones needs. So Cute. Link

5. Stylish Ipad Covers--My recent Ipad purchase has provoked a search-fest of Ipad covers. There are so many out there that make your Ipad nearly indestructible, but there is nothing that could be more perfect than a Kate Spade Ipad Cover. Simply Perfect in every way, and adds a little style to my work space. Link

-B.Weber

I can smell the SPF 50

2012-05-04T12:13:00.004-07:00

Summer is so close, I can smell the SPF 50. The days are heating up and summer getaways are soon approaching. Trips to the beach are on the horizon, and the thought of swimsuits can be a little overwhelming and scary. With these tips of how best to show off your figure you are going to look amazing for every summer getaway this year.

Small on Top:

Try Fringe, Ruffles, or Frills because these embellishments will add volume to your top half, creating an optical illusion to provide balance to your body.

Bit of a Belly:

Try A cami top because with a tankini, no one will guess you have a pooch under there. Make sure it is not too tight and is long enough to cover your muffin top.

Bigger Booty:

Try A plunging neckline because this will draw attention to your top half and help balance out your figure.

Busty:

Try A V-neck style that shows off just the right amount of cleavage, elongating your figure, while minimizing the fullness of your breasts.

As you head to the beach make sure to pack the swim suit perfect for your body type, a colorful beach towel and your SPF. In lieu of the N.J. Mom obsessed with tanning, I want to make sure everyone remembers suntan lotion in efforts to save our skin from melanoma at the age of 25! Well while having a little color is a nice souvenir after a weekend get away, and I am guilty as charged when it comes to soaking up some sun I highly recommend wearing SPF when outdoors.

Happy Friday! Sorry it has been so long since my last post, life took over but I'm back I promise!

-B.Weber

Pictures from here. Body Type advice from here.

Featured Designer -- Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana

2012-02-23T10:21:00.006-08:00

Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana, having made a trademark out of their surnames, Dolce & Gabbana are known around the world and are easily recognizable for their brands glamour and versatility. Dolce and Gabbana know how to impose their unique, sensual style on a worldwide basis. Adored by Hollywood, they dress everyone from Madonna, Monica Bellucci, Isabella Rossellini, Kylie Minogue and Angelina Jolie.

The Dolce & Gabbana woman is strong, likes herself and knows she is liked. She always wears high heels, which gives her both an extremely feminine and sexy walk and unmistakable posture. The Dolce & Gabbana Man dresses himself, and pays considerable attention to details. He imposes his traditions by wearing the cap, the waistcoat and the timeless white T-shirt vest.

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Tuesday Trends: Bare Midriff

2012-02-21T18:04:00.000-08:00

As February is coming to an end, Spring is upon us and the heat is bound to follow soon after. The big trend I am liking and thought I would share is the Bare Midriff. Now I know not everyone can pull this off, and it may require a few crunches to be in Midriff Baring shape, but I think it is a cute, fun trend I am bound to try soon.

There are so many different ways to wear the cropped tops that you are seeing at every department stores around. Pairing with cute jean shorts, or perhaps a long maxi can easily transition from day to night throwing on a simple jacket.

What are your thoughts?? I am just getting back in town and after a long, crazy weekend I have quite a few stories to share. Keep posted!

-B.Weber

State of Mind: On Vacation

2012-02-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

I am so sorry I have been failing at posting regularly, but I promise when I get back from my vaca to the San Francisco Bay Area I will have lots of tales to tell and photos to share. About a year back I lived with an amazing group of girls (seven to be exact... luckily the house had decent closet space) and this is our attempt at an annual retreat to catch up, laugh, cry, stay up late, go on hikes, enjoy wine tasting, and sit in a hot tub.

Off I go... Enjoy the long weekend!

-B.Weber

Photo from here.

Sweet Valentines Treat

2012-02-14T12:53:00.000-08:00

A simple and great Valentines Day Treat! You can substitute white or milk chocolate for semi-sweet, or experiment with double-dipping the strawberries in different chocolates, or even rolling in coconut, chopped nuts, or sprinkles to mix it up a bit. Enjoy the recipe!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen ripe strawberries

• 1 cup chopped chocolate (preferable) or good-quality chocolate chips

Preparation:

1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil.

2. Wash the strawberries and dry them thoroughly.

3. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until it is melted, stirring after every 30 seconds. Overheated chocolate gets thick and hard to work with, so it's important to keep a careful eye on the chocolate. Remove it when some pieces are still not melted, and stir until they melt. If you are using low-quality chocolate chips, you might need to add a little vegetable shortening to thin it out and make it easy to work with.

4. Holding a strawberry by the stem, dip it in chocolate, twirling it in a circular motion to evenly cover most of the berry. As you lift it from the chocolate, twirl it so that any excess chocolate drips back into the bowl.

5. Place the berry on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining berries and chocolate.

6. Once all of the berries are dipped, refrigerate them for 30 minutes to set the chocolate. These candies taste best when eaten the same day they are made.

Happy Valentines Day!

-B.Weber

Recipe from here. Picture from here.

Spring Nail Colors

2012-02-12T08:56:00.000-08:00

Spring Nail Colors by bweber on polyvore.com

These are a few of my favorite colors from Essie's Spring collection. I love and want to buy all of them! Have a good end to your weekend!

-B.Weber

If only I had all the Money in the World

2012-02-10T20:38:00.002-08:00

If only I had all the Money in the World by bweber featuring leather bags

Dolce Gabbana silk blazer
£670 - brownsfashion.com

Miu Miu skinny leg pants
$295 - net-a-porter.com

Valentino bow heels
£514 - farfetch.com

Miu Miu leather bag
$1,450 - miumiu.com

Oscar de la Renta multi strand chain necklace
$1,150 - net-a-porter.com

Yves saint laurent sunglasses
$275 - net-a-porter.com

Yves Saint Laurent Manucure Couture Nail Polish Duo
$30 - saksfifthavenue.com

Have A Good Weekend Everyone!

-B.Weber

Featured Designer -- Emilio Pucci

2012-02-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

Emilio Pucci known as the “prince of prints” began to gain interest after Toni Frissell, a friend, photographer and conveniently working for Harper’s Bazaar, wore his skiwear designs. After dabbling in skiwear, he branched into swimwear because of the familiarity of stretchy fabrics.

The following year he began making iconic scarves. Pucci’s expansion to women’s wear came only after encouragement of Steven Marcus (owner of Neiman Marcus). Creating the iconic wrinkle-free dresses captivated the famously wealthy like Sophia Loren and Jackie Kennedy. Even Marilyn Monroe, after her untimely death, was buried wearing a Pucci Dress. Today, Peter Dundas, who has continued to create successful designs blending cutting edge trends with the iconic patterns of Emilio Pucci, designs the label.

This Spring 2012 Resort Collection is one of my favorites. I love the colors and the prints. What do you think?

Pictures from Style.com.

What I Wore: Pleats on Pleats

2012-02-08T16:27:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone, so sorry for being M.I.A. over the last couple days. It was a very exciting couple of days, all the same a very draining couple of days. The exciting news: I have a Nephew Ryland! He is a beautiful baby with ten fingers and ten toes (what more could you ask for?). I swear he is a future Gerber Baby (I might be a tad bit biased) because he is the cutest baby I have ever laid my eyes on. He is 8lbs 4 oz of pure joy.

I'm back home now, and getting back into the swing of things at work and on here.

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Celebrate

2012-02-04T18:00:00.000-08:00

Won't you celebrate with me? I am giddy with the news! I have been excepted into an MBA program. I have been bitting my nails nervous since the day I applied in November, and I finally got the good news! I will begin my MBA Program Studies this Fall! EEks.

Thanks for celebrating with me. Look forward to a What I Wore Post tomorrow!

Photo From here.

-B.Weber

Friday Blues

2012-02-03T15:42:00.000-08:00

Today was the perfect day to end the week. I am going to be seeing my boyfriend tonight for a date night, and I had lunch with my sister. I cannot believe this week went by so fast. For me, tomorrow is really the start of my week with an early morning of Inventory and Merchandising. Let me tell you, you have not experienced true brain farts until you try taking inventory at 4am. Sometimes I catch myself counting 1, 2, 33, 34, 35... And then I think that cannot be right... FOCUS. Once in the swing of things i'm ok, but those first twenty minutes are a bit scary.

I am realizing that this Blog is needing a little more structure than an off the cuff daily post and I am going to attempt an editorial calendar. It will be my first, so we will have to see how it turns out. Wish me luck. (Any good tips on how to make one let me know!) I am so happy that what I have been posting has had such awesome responses from readers. Thank you all so much! It is very encouraging since I only started a few weeks ago.

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Painting the Roses Red

2012-02-02T11:29:00.000-08:00

So I had inspiration for this outfit after seeing Zara's Spring-Summer Campaign. The mixing of different florals on the top and bottom seemingly clash, but at the same time match each other beautifully. So naturally, I threw on the two boldest florals I own.

I got a few interesting looks while out and about today so dare I ask...Is it Crazy Good? Or just plan Crazy? Either way I had fun pretending to me Carrie Bradshaw for a day.

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I Spy...

2012-02-01T10:24:00.000-08:00

I Spy with my little eye a Ladder, a Brown Bear, and even an electric guitar...

I may be behind the times posting this, because I first saw the article "From Fad to Fancy" about Payton Cosell Turner in the September 2011 issue of ELLE DECOR. Since I have a nephew on the way, the nursery has been hot item of discussion over the last few months. We all want to make sure he has the coolest pad in town [A.K.A. decked out in sports paraphernalia from floor to ceiling]. Before a boy was officially on the way, I had shared this article with my sister for perfect girly wallpaper, in the chance he was a she.

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Collared Chambray

2012-01-31T12:15:00.000-08:00

Every morning I wake up and check the weather to be told the high is in the 70s. Part of me is sad that I still have so many cold weather pieces to wear, but the other part of me is happy that I do not have to scrape ice off my windshield. I think the positives equal the negatives so it is a wash all together.

A business casual look will have to do for today. Maybe it will be cold soon so I can wear one of the coats, or capes that I added to my closet this previous fall. (Crossing my fingers!)

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Perfect Spring Day

2012-01-31T09:46:00.000-08:00

Perfect Spring Day by bweber featuring bangles jewelry

Top Knot(ch) Monday

2012-01-30T13:29:00.000-08:00

The weekend always flies by, especially this weekend because it was jam packed with work and fun. I was able to visit my boyfriend and his sister in Santa Monica. We went to an English Pub, Ye Olde Kings Head, and spent Saturday night with friends, drinks, and darts. I realized I am not to bad of a dart player. Who would have thought?

If you are ever in Santa Monica you should check it out. There is a Bulldog Bar (I have a weakness for Bulldogs because of my family Bulli named Lexi) and there are pictures and paintings lining the walls with nothing but bulldogs!

Whenever I hang out with my boyfriends sister she inspires me to be more adventurous in my wardrobe. She is a stylist and is always working on the most amazing projects and with the most amazing people. Her outfits are always unique and she has the best eye when shopping. Very inspirational. While out on the town she wore a Top Knot and I decided to do the Top Knot with a added twist with a braid.

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Striped Mullet Skirt

2012-01-27T13:50:00.000-08:00

A windy day calls for a Mullet skirt so I can play Marilyn for a day. This new "Mullet" skirt (aka High-Low skirt) I bought about a week ago and I thought it was the perfect look for today. I also decided to turn the belt backwards to add a little interest to the back of the outfit.

Im hoping the wind dies down later, because I hate running and being beat up by the wind. Oh did I mention I'm training for another Half-Marathon this summer... and a Full-Marathon this fall! Im a little nervous about the Full because it will be 2x farther than I have ever run at once. I need to start running more religiously.

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Sweet Potato Fries & Sriracha Mayo Dip

2012-01-26T21:17:00.000-08:00

This Recipe I found on The Art of Doing STUFF, a Blog I'm obsessing over. I cannot wait to try this recipe. I had never tried sweet potato fries for the longest time, and once I did I was hooked. They are sooooooo good, and this Sriracha Dip sounds fabulous.

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Red and Pink Stripes, Yikes!

2012-01-26T16:05:00.000-08:00

Today was a lot of running around town, so thank goodness I threw on some comfy clothes. It was a little chilly in the morning, so I added a coat at first, but after a while the sweater alone was enough.

Pink and red are two of my favorite colors, so naturally this sweater had to be mine the moment I laid eyes on it.

Tonight I'm looking forward to taking it easy. I think an easy dinner and a good book and maybe a little time steaming some clothes will finish off a great night. Taxes are around the corner so I need to rest my brain before crunching a year of numbers!

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