spring neutrals

 Nordstrom jacket (similar) | Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses | Nordstrom belt | Gap jeans | Michael Kors watch | J. Crew bracelet (similar) | Victoria's Secret nail polish in "String Bikini"

It's officially the first day of spring! While I wish it were warmer, it felt nice to wear a light jacket and not a coat or sweater. I kept the outfit pretty neutral, but with bubble gum pink nails and some heeled booties.

xo-ally

windowpane

J. Crew top (on sale!) | Marc Jacobs sunglasses (similar) | Italian leather jacket (similar) | Nordstrom arrow bracelet | J. Crew enamel link bracelet (similar) | GJG jeans | Tory Burch flats | Laurenly ring | Longchamp bag

Anything checkered/gingham/windowpane/whatever has always been my favorite pattern (stripes are a very close second). Bold, graphic windowpane patterns have caught my eye for a while and when I saw this black and white top from J. Crew, I knew I had to add it to my wardrobe. I added shiny and sleek accessories (leather jacket, Longchamp, and Tory Burch patent Revas) with a couple pops of pink to complete the look.

xo-ally

friday's fancies - summer treat

This week's Friday's Fancies theme with Long Distance Loving is summer treat. I can't wait to get to Italy in just a little over a week and get some gelato! I can taste the delicious-ness by thinking of it. Here is my outfit inspired by strawberry and raspberry flavored gelato:

photo credits: one, two

jacket, dress, pumps, watch, clutch

I like how the dress and suede pumps make the outfit dressy, but the moto jacket adds a hint of edge. Since the jacket is white, it makes the outfit summery and works better with the girliness of the rest of the outfit. I adore the cork and gold clutch, which goes well with the gold Juicy watch!

xo-ally

subtle floral

J. Crew top | Swank shorts (similar) | Nordstrom sunglasses (similar) | Kate Spade bag (similar) | Michael Kors watch |  Nordstrom orange bangle | Henri Bendel yellow bracelet | Tory Burch sandals (close-toed flats) | Max & Chloe necklace

Today's outfit subtly mixes floral on the lace shorts, gold bag, and bangle. With the similar tones of gold and orange, it all works and makes the different sized florals go together. I love my J. Crew peplum top because it really can pull any outfit together (it is also SO comfortable). And I was excited to add my new neon sailor knot bracelet from Bendels! I got the bracelet at the Bendels summer sale in New York a couple weeks ago. Even though it's both neon and nautical, I have a feeling this bracelet will carry through to fall.

More ways to wear it....
The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale has only a few days left, and there are some great floral pieces on sale to choose from. First, I adore this hot pink floral pencil skirt from Kate Spade. It's $198, a hundred dollars less than the original price, but still a little spendy (for me at least!)
Floral tights add coverage to basic dresses and skirts in the cooler seasons, but still make the outfit interesting. This pair comes in black and a reddish-purple. There is also plus size available as well.
I couldn't resist adding this pair of bright, floral jeans to the list. I know, I know, they're very summer-y (and Kate Spade, again), but...they're wearable into September and you can save them for spring? Think of it as a future investment in next year's spring break wardrobe! :)

xo-ally

whales!

J. Crew sweater (similar sweater, solid) (similar print, tee) | Nordstrom sunglasses | Sanctuary jeans | Tory Burch sandals (similar, great year-round option) | Michael Kors watch | J. Crew yellow bracelet (similar) | Swank silver bracelets | Color Club "Disco Dress" nail polish

How adorable are these little whales?! It was a chilly Seattle morning, so I threw on my new critter sweater I've been wanting to wear :) Pairing it with white skinnies and metallic sandals made it still feel like summer despite the cool breeze. The sweater is a little sheer due to its lightweight feel, so I'd recommend a navy cami (like this one from Nordstrom) if you wouldn't want a different color to show through (I wore a white cami underneath).

To bring this look into fall I'd swap the bright white denim for a pair of off-white cords or tuck the sweater into distressed skinny jeans with a classic, brown leather belt.

xo-ally

nyc

Subdued shirt (from Florence, Italy) | J. Crew shorts | Sperry shoes | Nordstrom chevron bangle | Michael Kors watch | Longchamp bag | Swank necklace

I'm currently back in New York for a few days! I took these photos after seeing a show. 

This outfit was:

Comfortable: the shorts and Sperrys made walking around the city all day bearable.

Functional: the watch keeps me on time, while my Longchamp fits my clip board and all other materials needed for work.

And then I added some accessories to make the ensemble more interesting!

xo-ally

PS - Google Friend Connect is now going away for non-Blogger blogs, however it will still appear on this site and many others (since this blog is run through Blogger). You can import your contacts to Bloglovin', though :)
You can follow me on Bloglovin' here!

a spring outfit

J. Crew shirt | Swank Boutique pink necklace | Max & Chloe monogram necklace | Sanctuary jeans | Sperry boat shoes (they brought back the original pink!) | Kate Spade bag (similar) | Kate Spade ring | Nordstrom belt (similar) | Nordstrom sunglasses

Today we went out near the small lake on campus to take photos in the grass! I love a good blue sky/bright green grass combo for photos. The geese were there today, and luckily didn't start chasing me (yeah, that happened sophomore year....)

I pulled out my favorite pair of Sperry boat shoes, which I've had since I was 13 years old. They've stood the test of time and are still in fantastic shape! They definitely look "worn." The pink Sperrys match my necklace perfectly, and with the necklace's gold accents, I added some gold jewelry and a bag. It was fun to add pink (my favorite) and gold to the neutral blue and white of the shirt and jeans.

xo-ally

friday's fancies - bling bling

Today's Friday's Fancies theme with long distance loving is bling bling. Since it's all about the jewelry this week, I chose a bright pink statement necklace from Kate Spade to contrast against the emerald skater dress. Nude flats and a gold watch and bracelet finish the look.

dress, flats, necklace, watch, bracelet

xo-ally

my first .gif outfit post!

Here is my very first .gif outfit post!!!!

I've been planning on doing this for months and I finally just did it. I'm so excited! I've never seen any other bloggers do this with outfit posts, so I feel so innovative :) you saw it here first! 

And if you didn't, because someone else did it before me, then this just got really awkward....

Without further ado, here's my outfit:

Photo credits go out to my wonderful friend Lauren P! Lauren takes many of my outfit photos, including the ones from today!

Bag Kate Spade (similar) Bracelets J. Crew Shirt Forever 21 (similar) Skirt Nordstrom (similar striped look) Heels DSW Nails Cynthia Rowley Necklace Max & Chloe

Since I'm loving the black and white color blocking being a huge trend this season, I paired this sheer button up with my striped cupcake skirt and then nude platform heels. With touches of gold from my new monogram necklace, shoes, and bag, I had fun by using color on my bracelets and nail polish.

xo-ally

bumblebee

 Dress Vivid Collection (totally loving this similar one!!) Jacket from a market in Italy (here's a cool, trendy take on a leather hoodie with color blocking) Tights F21 Wedges Tory Burch (similar) Bag Tory Burch (similar) Ring Henri Bendel Nail Polish Essie "Playa del Platinum"

Unlike yesterday, I woke up to a gray sky and drizzling rain. It felt like Seattle...ick. Instead of wearing the black peacoat I intended to wear, I threw on my black leather hoodie from Italy! I realized I haven't worn it in a while since it has been so cold. The leather material is soft and as smooth as butter. Also the material makes the outfit look a little more dressed up than a cotton or velour hoodie would. It's nice to pull it back out of my closet!

As you can tell, I am wearing mostly black with a huge pop of yellow in my dress. I love wearing bright colors in the winter! I played up the black in the rest of the outfit, and bounced off the yellow with gold accessories like my bow ring and the chain strap on my Tory Burch bag. Beige nail polish added a subtle, yet clean touch.

Happy Thursday - almost the weekend!

xo-ally

PS - to the girls that commented asking for a hot rollers hair tutorial - I am definitely considering it! I would need to practice the style more, however.....we'll see. I'll keep you updated if I do one. :)

friday's fancies - new year's finest

This week's Friday's Fancies theme with long distance loving is New Year's Finest. I can't believe it's almost 2013!!! When I think of New Year's attire, the typical black or gold sequined body-con dress with a fur vest comes to mind. Here's a fun, totally glam outfit to wear while ringing in the new year that stands out from the black-and-gold crowd:

dress, heels, large clutch, necklace, black and cream bracelets, pink bracelet

xo-ally

friday's fancies - autumn treat [starbucks iced mocha]

This week's Friday's Fancies theme with long distance loving is favorite autumn treat. I don't really have a favorite particular one, but this week I've had an iced mocha almost every day.

I agree, iced coffee doesn't really scream "autumn." (I don't like warm drinks! I know, I'm weird.)

But the recent spike in iced mocha purchases may or may not have to do with midterms/very busy week with school.

So....this time during the fall semester is the time I drink plenty of iced mochas (just finished one, in fact.) That's how I will tie that somehow into this week's theme! Here's the outfit:

dress, handbag, watch, bracelet, flats

...I even used clear jellies to mimic the clear, plastic cups that come with iced drinks! The green bag is like the straw, haha. (And am I the only one who wishes there are Christmas cups for iced drinks too??!!)

xo-ally

friday's fancies - sweater season

This week's theme with Friday's Fancies at long distance loving is Sweater Season. I pulled together an outfit with an adorable scottie dog sweater dress, fleece-lined leggings (can you say warm?! Must be a gift from Heaven...), yellow Hunter rain boots, and gold accessories. This outfit will brighten up any dreary day!

sweater, leggings, boots, ring, bracelet

xo-ally

turquoise on turquoise on turquoise

Shirt: Free People (similar) Shorts: Paige Denim (similar)Sandals: Dolce Vita (similar) Sunglasses: Chanel Earrings: New Look (London) Watch: Michael Kors (newer version) Bracelets: Forever 21

Turquoise high-low shirt. Turquoise Sandals. Turquoise toenails.

It's been a turquoise kind of day.

Fall seems to be heading our way sooner. It's really chilly in the shade but hot in the sun. I've seen quite the mix of outfits these past couple of days - some people are still wearing shorts and sandals (like me) and others are in tights, boots, scarves, and jackets.

When it's 75 degrees and sunny, it's a little cooler than summer...but I know frigid winter temps will be here sooner than I know it. So I'm easing into the fall transition with my long sleeves and sandals.

xo-ally

tory burch animal print reva flats // new blog design

I've been seeing these flats ALL over Pinterest lately in Polyvore-style outfit images. I love them so much! The gold logo piece on the toes even seems to bring out the gold and darker tones within the animal print. A great way to add interest is to add animal print flats - this pair by Tory Burch is versatile and would liven up any outfit.

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Also - do you like my new design?! I kept the layout the same but changed the header and side buttons. I was starting to get bored of my old header and wanted to add some color. Let me know what you think!

xo-ally

chambray & sperrys

Shirt, sunglasses: American Eagle Shorts: H&M Shoes: Sperry Watch: Michael Kors Tank: F21 Ring: Kate Spade

I've been wearing my gold Sperrys so much lately! What can I say, I guess I am loving the Sperry + shorts combo this summer. I wore this outfit to work today, and even though the dress code is very casual (and shorts are allowed), I thought I'd keep it clean and put-together with a comfy chambray button-down, white shorts, and muted metallic boat shoes. I wore a watch and ruby red ring with my gold aviators. Overall, it's a pretty simple outfit, but one can never go wrong with classic pieces and vintage-inspired photo editing!

xo

olive & gold

Jacket: Arden B Shirt: Macy's Shorts: Rock & Republic Watch: Michael Kors Bracelets: F21 Shoes: Sperry Ring: Nordstrom

I was going to take this photo outside on this gorgeous, sunny day, but I forgot my camera at home! I took a photo inside instead and was happy this I got a decent photo on the first shot. I have to go to work in a few minutes! Super fast post today.

About the outfit - I like using olive as a neutral but enjoy how it still adds a bit of subtle color. Of course, I add some shine with the sparkles on the tank, accessories, and soft gold metallic shoes, but wear simple denim shorts to not make the outfit over the top.

Happy Tuesday!

xo



Creative cuffs & beautiful bangles - I'm loving jewelry line Evocateur

Last weekend I stopped by Nordstrom for a few minutes. I was quickly scanning the large department store with the few minutes I had (I just had to take a peek at the anniversary sale!) and stumbled upon these eye-catching bangles. I wrote down the name of the brand, Evocateur, on my Blackberry so I could look it up later.

Art Flower Bangle

Their website says, "Handcrafted in our Connecticut studios, our artisan jewelry and accessories feature 22K gold leaf and sterling silver leaf embellished with vintage jewelry, striking images and other found treasures. Our designs feature a refined eclecticism which reflects our love of the traditional and the ancient, blended with the modern and contemporary. The line, which includes cuffs, bangles, pendants, earrings and belts can be found in premier boutiques and stores throughout the US."

My favorite pieces were the cuffs and bangles. Prices range around $200-$350. It's not exactly in this college girl's budget, but there's nothing wrong with looking at them!

Titanic Blueprint Cuff

8 Ball Cuff

Chrysler Pink Cuff

I Do! Cuff

The Art Flower Bangle is my favorite. Hmm, maybe I'll put it on my birthday list.... :)

xo