Paisley & Peonies

Inspired

2011-05-04T00:07:00.000-07:00

I found a dress today that inspired me to show-and-tell. Some of you may know that one of my favorite style icons is Rachel Bilson so when I find an item that I could see her wearing I get very excited. Yesterday I stopped at Freestyle Clothing Exchange to see what I could find for my husband's upcoming show (he's in a band now). I had no idea what look I was going for so I just started combing the racks hoping to be inspired and inspired I was! As I pulled out the dress to look at it I gasped. A girl standing nearby, who's style I happened to admire earlier while shopping, shared the moment with me. We both made a comment expressing what a great dress it was and went our seperate ways, me with the dress and her wishing she had found it first. So here it is! Just the dress, the dress with accesories, and my style-inspiration for this outfit. I apologize in advance for my hair, I took these pictures shortly after waking up.

Style Finds A Way

2010-11-30T18:52:00.000-08:00

Ok, peeps. I’m taking you all the way back to 1993 to the original Jurassic Park movie. I know, it seems like an unlikely movie for fashion inspiration but bear with me.

There is a scene in the movie where the scientists are looking at a nest of recently hatched dinosaur eggs. They are puzzled because all of the dinosaurs were supposed to be female. Just then, Jeff Goldblum’s character utters the famous line, “Life finds away.”

Well, it’s this very scene that got me thinking about my own fashion dilemmas. You see, these days I’ve got two things working against me fashion-wise. One, a rapidly growing bump (baby #2 is due in July!) and two, ~~very little~~ no money to shop. But the truly great thing about style, not trends or fads, is that it doesn’t hinge on a perfect figure or a full wallet. Instead, it’s about confidence and owning what you do have. Impeccable hair, makeup and nails can’t hurt either. In thinking about this the last few weeks, I’ve come up with a few guidelines, tried and true:

1. It takes time to style your hair. Do it anyway. If your hair is messy, you look messy.
2. Keep your eyebrows looking neat and groomed. They frame your face.
3. You look more put together with makeup, but keep it natural.
4. Wear earrings.
5. A stylish, tailored coat and scarf hide a multitude of fashion sins. And in this weather, you may never need to take it off.

So, whether your predicament is lack of funds, a changing figure or anything in between, remember, style finds a way.

Haircut Hankering

2010-11-16T15:12:00.000-08:00

So lately I've been wanting to cut my hair. I'd like to think I could do it on a whim, but that's not me at all. I've thought it out very well without even realizing it. Here goes...

I'm going to be thirty years old in a few years so I thought to myself, 'I don't want to cut my hair when I turn thirty!' that'll just make me feel like it was a thirty-year-old thing to do, reminding me that I'm older. I figure if I do it now I'll have done something fun and exciting before I turn thirty and I won't associate cutting my hair with getting older. Also, I can have it grown out by the time I am thirty if I find that short hair makes me feel older.

That's not the only thing I've thought out...

I also have the in-between stages all planned out. This gives me less anxiety when I think about possibly not liking it or liking it, but deciding to grow it out.

So here is the cut I like...

And here are the between stages that I thought might be cute...

Whether or not I will actually get the nerve to do it has yet to be determined!

Closet Clarity

2010-10-18T16:44:00.000-07:00

I want to talk for a moment today about style motivation. It's been said that women dress for other women and I believe that’s true. I think it can be a really positive force when it moves us to put more pride into what we wear because when you look better, you do feel better. However, when it causes us to adopt trends that don’t flatter us or to become a carbon copy of someone else, we risk losing who we are.

It helps to have something that reminds you of who you are and who you aspire to be, a touchstone that can bring you fashion clarity. My friend, V. has a little photo album filled with pictures torn out of magazines. I have a collage that hangs in my closet. It says to me, “Hey you…yes, you about to reach for the worn out gray hoodie. Why not take a cue from one of these looks instead?” Sometimes, its just the motivation I need to be the best version of me.

So, what's your fashion motivation?

Change It Up!

2010-10-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

So I decided to look through my InStyle and Vogue magazines with a purpose. I wanted to see how I could update my last fall's wardrobe spending little to no money. I found a few looks that I think will do the trick.

Last fall the belt around the exterior of a few layers was a big hit. I think this is still a great way to change up your wardrobe. Here is another great way to bring new life to an old outfit, a scarf tucked into the belt. Most likely you already own both accessories - belt and scarf. If not, you can pick either or both up for a few bucks a piece. If you like the look, but think it might be too bulky for you, try it out with thinner layers first.

Here's a look that made an appearance last year. My prediction is that we're going to see alot more of the ankle, mid-calf and over-the-knee socks this year. I am anxious to try this out since I already own several pairs of dress socks that I usually wear hidden under boots. I'll admit that I'll probably have to warm up to this look with a neutral colored pair of socks, like grey, just to try out the look then maybe graduate to something with a little more color to add that extra pop to a neutral colored outfit. If you like this look, but feel that your calves are too curvy to pull it off I suggest sticking to an ankle sock and wearing a shoe with some height. I think you'll be surprised how feminine you'll feel. If you aren't quite sold on this look you might like my next find...

Tights under shorts! I think that this is going to be my favorite way to change up my look this fall. This look is great since you can use your tights from last year and you get extra wear out of your shorts that you would have otherwise put away for the winter. This look looks great with a variety of shoes, as you can see in the picture, so feel free to play with the shoes that you already have in your closet. I also think that shorts with tights is a great alternative to the mini-skirt, for those of us who refuse to go there.

Casual Sunday

2010-10-07T05:11:00.000-07:00

I see it every time I go to the grocery store and I still don’t understand it. Women are running errands dressed in spaghetti strap tank tops and pajama bottoms with their feet clad in sheepskin slippers.

Don’t get me wrong-I’m not judging. As a first time mom to an active 8 month old, I know there have been days when I’m doing good to get a shower and brush my teeth much less make it to the grocery store. But if you do go out, a few quick upgrades can take an outfit from sloppy to fashionable.

Take myself for example. Last Sunday morning I headed out for my weekly grocery run wearing a cute black tank dress and green Havaianas (best flip flops ever but that’s another post). Certainly nothing wrong with that outfit but could it have been called “put together”? Hardly.

Since hindsight is 20/20, here is what I’ll do next time to look a bit more polished but still errand-running appropriate. Swap the flip-flops for some cute flats like these glossy Kenneth Coles.

Add a long necklace and a small shoulder bag. I love that this one looks like a vintage coin purse.

These changes are easy and quick and best of all, you won’t feel like hiding behind the tortilla chip display when you run into an old high school classmate.

So, what’s your go-to weekend outfit and how can you make it better?

A Good Rule of Thumb

2010-10-04T21:03:00.000-07:00

I saw this quote by Charlotte Dellal in the October 2010 issue of Vogue today and I thought, 'what a good rule of thumb!'

I'm sure "a bit of glamour" means something totally different for Ms. Dellal than it does for most of us. No matter, we all have that one necklace or bracelet, that one pair of earrings or shoes, that one stick of red lipstick or lovely smelling perfume that we never have anywhere to wear it to. I know I do. This week I'm going to use that one glamorous thing that I never get to use, even if it's to the grocery store!

The 21st of September, 2010

2010-09-21T00:08:00.000-07:00

The day has come for this blog to begin, the 21st of September 2010.

It is a bitter-sweet moment. Bitter because in just a few hours The Cool (it's a reference to who we are as friends) will be separated by a couple of thousand miles, but here is the sweet part...a fashion blog has been born!

This is not meant to be a pretentious fashion blog, but rather the cyber-equivalent of two best friends laying across the bed with the latest fashion magazines in hand, dishing about their favorite looks.

So, we guess you could say it's more like bitter-sweet chocolate, this whole thing wouldn't be more enjoyable if it wasn't both bitter and sweet. We hope that you enjoy this as much as we will and are as entertained as we hope to be!

Paisley and Peony out!