wear now, wear later: animal print loafers

One of the best ways to get the most out of your wardrobe is to have some items that will carry you through multiple seasons. With summer sandals and fall boots, sometimes it can be difficult to wear shoes that can be worn in both times of the year. Flats are an exception - they work year-round! With loafers emerging as an upcoming trend, I put together two outfits with Betsey Johnson zebra-printed loafers.

Summer:

I love the colors in this outfit! The wild, black and white print on the shoes allows for some playfulness in the rest of the outfit. I chose bright pink chino shorts and colorful jewelry with a printed bag to accompany the plain shirt and shorts.

F21 shirt, J. Crew shorts, Wet Seal sunglasses, Betsey Johnson earrings, Kate Spade ring, Kate Spade bag, Betsey Johnson shoes (link below).

Fall:

Take a cue from the turning leaves and put oranges and deep reds into the mix! Since the loafers are printed, I decided to play around with color and texture in the rest of the outfit. The leather skirt plays up the edge from the animal print, but the collar necklace and knit beret soften the look. Add some over-the-knee socks and a fashion-forward watch, and the outfit is complete!

J. Crew sweater, Nordstrom necklace, Topshop skirt, F21 socks, H&M hat, Kiel James Patrick bracelet, Michael Kors Watch, Betsey Johnson shoes (link below).

The shoes:

Which look do you like better? How do you stretch items from your wardrobe through different seasons?

xo-ally

skinny belts

When belts over the waists became big again years ago (was it 2005?) I didn't like them at first. It was ninth grade, and I was fine wearing my bootcut jeans and gold Hollister belt slung diagonally over my hips, thankyouverymuch. At that time, I had just dipped a toe in the skinny jean trend but could not even fathom wearing high-waisted jeans, nevertheless a belt higher than my hips. Later, I grew out of the Hollister-Abercrombie phase and experimented more with fashion, and even - gasp - tried out belts over my waist! What a perfect way to cinch the waist, add color, and make baggy shirts and dresses much more flattering.

Over the years, belt trends have come in and out, but the cinched waist is still going pretty strong. Lately, skinny belts have had the spotlight. They are perfect over dresses and high-waisted skirts, but I'm loving them as actual belts, too. A colored skinny belt can be the only color you need if you're wearing denim, white, or neutral-colored shorts or pants.

A few skinny belts I adore these days:

This is the green belt I wore last week. I've worn it a few different ways already!

The bow on this belt is adorable! I love the powder blue color.

This colorful, beaded belt is unique and would be a cool statement accessory on any outfit.

xo-ally

bareMinerals lip colors

I don't wear lip color very often. I have Burts Bees lip balm that I wear daily, but my glosses don't get much use. (Well, I had light pink lipglass from M.A.C. that I loved but I lost it. Sad.) I feel like I buy the wrong color sometimes - it just doesn't fully go. That's why I like getting makeup from department stores! Unlike a drug store, you get to try on the makeup and see how it looks before you make a decision.

shop this

I got the bareMinerals Pretty Amazing Lip Color in "Ambition." It is a bright, hot pink! I was originally deciding between this color or a red so I could wear when I perform with dance team at basketball games. When I tried it on, however, it was suggested that I wear it regularly! Here is the color on me, taken with my phone:

I also got the bareMinerals Moxie Lip Gloss in "Show Off." It is a pinky-nude that will bring out the rosy undertones of my skin but will be much more subtle than the hot pink above. I'm excited to try this over a nude lipstick I bought a while back - the lipstick itself seems too matte, so a gloss will help liven it up a bit.

shop this

What brand/type of makeup do you use for your lips?

xo-ally

skinny belt & ombre nails

Dress: H&M (old) similar Belt, bag: Nordstrom Flats: Report (old) similarSilver jewelry: Tiffany & Co.; Bracelet , Ring Nail polish: Butter London and NARS

It was such a gorgeous day, so a friend and I went shopping and walked around outside downtown. I wasn't originally wearing ombre nail polish - I ended up trying on a few different shades of blue over the royal blue I already had on, and it ended up actually looking good! And remember when I said I would get a lot of use out of this dress? I've already worn it so many ways, some of which are posted on here. Adding a green skinny belt is yet another way to wear this dress.

The nail polish:

NARS and Butter London

xo-ally

rock climbing at minnehaha

I love indoor rock climbing - I've been taking classes at a nearby climbing gym for a while now. I've only climbed outdoors a couple of times. I like it because there is no specific "route" to climb on - you just use what you need on the wall to get up. At the same time, having a route with colorful tape is nice because you know there is always somewhere to put your hand or foot, even if it's a tough move. Overall, it was a warm, sunny day and perfect for being outside!

Our matching tanks were unplanned!

xo-ally

zumba set list - july 21st

I subbed another Zumba class this morning. It was one of my favorite classes I ever taught! The class was great and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. There were lots of cheers during the dancing, which makes me feel good that people enjoy the class. Here is my set list from today:

xo-ally

stripes and white

I finally, somewhat figured out how to take photos on the manual setting on my camera. I've had my Nikon D3100 for a while now, but have stayed in the Auto setting area...I had tried shooting in manual many times but my photos always came out dark. After reading THESE blog posts about photography essentials, everything became so much clearer! Shooting in manual is a lot easier than you think. I'm still getting used to it, but check out the photo below! No edits :) I am so proud that you can see everything and that it isn't just one giant dark shadow....

See that dial pointed to M?! Boom. Manual setting. I feel so amateur to finally be using it!

Then I had some fun in Photoshop:

Here are some other practice photos from the day:

The "Awk Walk"

It's definitely a learning process, so I'm glad to get some tips along the way. I'm taking a photography class this fall, so I'm excited to keep improving my photos.

Outfit Details:

Hat: Harding-Lane, Tuckernuck Striped top: Forever 21 (old) similar Shorts: H&M Watch: Michael Kors Sandals: Tory Burch (old) similar

xo-ally

outfit x2 - finally!

Shirt, jeans: Nordstrom Sandals: Tory Burch Watch:Michael Kors Bracelets, headband: Forever 21 Red cuff: Velvet Hanger Sunglasses: American Eagle

Tank: Madewell Red cuff: Velvet Hanger Bracelet & charms: Juicy Couture Belt: Forever 21 Shorts: H&M Flip Flops: Havaianas

I haven't posted many outfits lately due to my broken camera. Well, it's fixed!! Kind of. It's hard to explain. But it takes pictures again! So I had a whole lot of fun playing around on Photoshop now that I had new photos to edit...maybe a little too much fun. ;)

xo-ally

jack rogers wedges & paige denim shorts

I have been looking for a netural-colored, not-super-tall pair of wedges for months now. After searching quite a few places, I think I have finally found a perfect match:

Jack Roger's Barcelona Capri

The height is only 3 inches which makes this pair very versatile! It's a nice way to add a little height with shorts and skirts without being too over the top. And the shade of brown would go with everything. I am super bummed that I missed Jack Rogers sale on Rue La La last night, though!!! I could've gotten a pair! I woke up this morning a half-hour after the sale ended. Sigh.

These 7 For All Mankind wedges are close contenders, but they're more expensive and I think the 4.5 inch heel would be too tall for most pairs of shorts. I think they'd go well with dresses and jeans, though.

Speaking of shorts, I am also in the market for new denim shorts, and these Paige Denim boyfriend shorts would be perfect! I think the slightly baggy fit would balance out a girly top. The dark wash is also classic and will stay in style for years - would be a good investment!

On another note, I spotted this fantastic, powder blue nail polish from M.A.C. at Nordstrom.com. I've been looking for this unique shade of blue. My next trip to Nordstrom WILL include this polish!

Especially with the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale coming up this Friday, I think a summer shopping spree might be in order soon. :)

xo-ally

Easy Photoshop Tutorial: Turning Spring into Fall

Want to make spring and summer outdoor photos look like they were taken in the autumn months? This is super easy to do using Photoshop. All you need to do is adjust the yellow hues. This is how I did it, using Photoshop Elements.

Step 1: Choose a photo to start with.

Step 2: Click Enhance > Adjust Color > Adjust Hue/Saturation

Step 3: Change "Master" to "Yellows" on the drop-down menu. Adjust the Hue bar to -35 or play around with it until you get your desired look.

There you go! You now have an autumn-looking photo that took only about sixty seconds to do.

Enjoy! If you try this post it on your blog/Flickr/Tumblr/etc. and let me know - I'll go check it out!

xo-ally