Adventures in Shopping: To Maternity or Not to Maternity

I have a lot of mixed feelings on maternity wear. Not because there aren’t a ton of cool brands out there – see Fashion Mamas founder Natalie’s crowdsourced list in LAmag (I may or may not have contributed to the H&M & TopShop picks). I just have a hard time spending money on clothes that will be worn for maybe six months and then disappear in a box somewhere in the back of your closet/no-woman’s land. But on the other hand, shopping for your new-found bump is one of the short-lived perks to being pregnant. So, I made a compromise with myself: I will allow myself to shop for maternity clothes, if and only if they are affordable and fit in a way that makes me feel great about myself (cuz let’s face it – come 32 weeks in, we all need a little pick me up). Plus, there’s nothing like your best friend from college getting married to kick you into hyper-shopping mode.

Luckily I know some pretty awesome Houston mommy bloggers (see Uptown with Elly Brown, who happens to be due only a few days apart from me), and have snagged a ton of maternity style inspiration from them. One brand that I’m almost embarrassed to admit I’ve never shopped before (shame) is ASOS. So I took the plunge and found this super-classy floral printed dress from their maternity line and paired it with a nude blazer and heels (link to all below). Besides, what says spring wedding in the hill country more than head-to-toe floral? Nothing, I tell you. Nothing.

photo cred: Marlo Carroll Photography

Shop the Look:

Romwe (non-maternity), Apricot Roll Tab Sleeve Waterfall Collar Duster Coat

ASOS, Bluebelle Maternity Floral Printed Bodycon Dress (Sold out but similar here, here and here)

BCBGeneration from Nordstrom Rack, Nude Pumps (you can also find them here and here)

BCBG MAX AZRIA, Tan Leather Clutch (old no longer available, similar here and here)

Links à la Mode, April 6th

• Aesthetic Distance: Social Media Makes Us Better Feminists
• April Was Here: Bowknot Blouse and Ruffled Sleeves
• Beyond Her Curls: The Perfect Spring Jacket
• Cammeo Head to Toe: Adventures in Shopping: To Maternity or Not To Maternity
• Cat Eyes & Skinny Jeans: April Crush List
• Elements of Ellis: Embroidered Moto Jacket
• Fashionista Momma: Blush Jumpsuit
• Five Foot Nothing Shopping: Translate Runway to Everyday Fashion!
• Happy Pretty Sweet: How to Update Your Beauty Routine for Spring
• I’m a Norbyah: The Right Stripes
• It’s True Blog: How To Create New Content When You Don’t Have Any Inspiration
• Lil Miss JB Style: Loft Decor
• Middle of Somewhere: Flatform Sandals & The Weekly Style Edit Linkup
• Tales of Two: 7 Tips for Visiting Pearl Harbor
• The Outfit Repeater: Behind the Scenes: The Making of an Outfit Post

SPONSOR: Amazon’s Shopbop SUNDRY, Free People Activewear, MONROW Sweatpants, Liana Clothing, ALALA, Champion Premium Reverse Weave, Straw Bags, Fringe Slides, Statement Jewelry, Men’s EA7 by Emporio Armani

Mom Jean Confessions: Leap Year

Everyone knows 2016 was a crapshoot. I don’t think I know one single person who couldn’t wait for it to be over. So as I was mulling over just how to put into words what this year meant for us, it dawned on me – 2016 was a leap year. Now try and follow me here. A leap year, in both the literal and metaphorical sense, means to correct drift. So if you think about it – all 2016 was meant to do was get us back in synch and help us find our true North. I don’t know about you, but the older I get and the more complicated life is – it only seems harder and harder to follow my internal compass. But 2016 was a year for reflecting and looking inward, whether I wanted to or not. Many of you have read my initial recap of this year that I wrote back in Sept. Well a lot, and I mean A LOT, has happened since then.

In October, our son turned three. Which may not seem like such a huge deal – but suddenly all those warnings about “ohhh it’s not the terrible twos, it’s the terrible threes” – came true. Now I’m not one to go on and on about the injustices of motherhood, cuz quite frankly, it shouldn’t be news to anyone that being a parent is hard. And I chose it, so why whine about it, right? I simply must say that it truly is a humbling experience. I mean, how often in life do you get to be thrown into a completely new situation that comes with no real training (prenatal classes don’t count), and has no promise for what the end outcome will be? There’s no degree or diploma that a group of older moms gives to you after you complete two years of service. There’s only this wonderful, innocent, trusting individual that God has entrusted you with, and they are the only ones that truly govern the way life is from here on out. I don’t mean to sound like I let my child rule my life – I just mean to express just how one simple thing like turning a year older for them, impacts a whole family dynamic. It was like overnight we found ourselves in a whole new ball game. There would be times that we’d look at each other and think – is this normal, do we just let him get it out and see what tomorrow brings? And then other times it was like we were handed the ball with 10 seconds left in the game, and if we didn’t handle this the right way – that was the end of the season for us. But for the most part, what we’ve learned is balance. Balance between how we react (or don’t react in most cases), and teaching our son, who knows exactly what buttons to push to make both of our heads spin, how to balance his own emotions. It hasn’t been easy, trust us, but we’ll get there. Before we know it he’ll be turning another year older, bringing on a whole new set of challenges and victories.

In November, we closed on our first house. It was the fixer upper we’d been searching for, even ever since we lived in LA. Crazy how things happen, and this might be the craziest of all for us to date. Grant and his dad had been talking about fixing up and flipping houses for over a year now, but it wasn’t until a one-story HUD foreclosure in Clear Lake popped up on our radar that it become a reality. We contacted the local realtor who helped us place a bid online, and we waited nearly a week to find out that HUD accepted our offer but only as a back-up. Well for whatever reason, weeks go by and Grant decided to randomly look through the listings from that same realtor, and the house was back on the market. We still have no idea to this day what happened – did the other offer fall through, was there something majorly wrong with the house and they backed out? (we later learned that the latter hunch wasn’t that far off). Anyway, we put another bid on the house (even lower this time), and in HUD terms that I won’t bother to bore you with, they accepted. We pretty much couldn’t believe it – we were about to be homeowners. We, who have bounced around from apartment to apartment since college and since we met 12 years ago – were about to have the home we always dreamed about. But that’s about where the fairy tale ends. Not to sound ungrateful, because trust me we will forever be that. But if you have adopted as unhealthy of an addiction as we have to all the HGTV shows about flipping homes – you probably can guess what happened next. After days/weeks of sleuth-like investigating (and intel from some very insightful neighbors), we learned that the house hadn’t actually been lived in for six years. Um, what? Which meant that all the utility meters had been removed, which meant us calling around to the city of Houston, along with the local gas, electric, and water services to try and coordinate what could possibly be the residential gaggle of the century. The plumbing ended up not being as big of a deal as we thought, other than the fact that the pool had been neglected for six years and was now a veritable swamp that our neighbors informed us was like the frog plague before HUD came and boarded it up. What actually ended up baffling even “my father-in-law the hero” and 5+ electricians – was the wackodoo wiring that some apparent novice had installed throughout the house, causing lights in one room to switch off lights in a bathroom halfway down the hallway, and wires so crossed (literally) it took over a month to get it sorted out – and we’re still finding random issues. But alas, we’re all moved in and Garrett is loving the new house with all the space in the world to run around. We also lucked into the neighbors of the century who are the sweetest couple from Baylor (I think that’s as close to Chip and Joanna as we’re gonna get), and Garrett adores playing with their two little girls. The wife and I hit it off, and she’s even introduced me to her fellow mommy tribe, which as a new mom, you need more than anything. Our plan is to tackle the house project-by-project, which we happen to really be loving. It’s a good thing, cuz renovating an entire house while living in it is not for the faint at heart. I promise to get my act together and organize all my random before/after photos, so that I can start a series of blog posts for all you fixer upper lovers out there.

In November, Grant started a new job. The job, in fact. The job that he had more or less gone back to grad school for seven years ago. The job that inadvertently fell in his lap at the beginning of the year, and then got snatched away all too soon a few months later. The job that made us finally pull the trigger and move back to Houston, not knowing if it would actually one day lead to the job – but it did. Taking that leap was not easy for my husband or me, but after a whole summer of networking and countless conversations – he finally got a start date after Thanksgiving. I don’t have to tell you how the irony of that timing was not lost on us. We could not have been more thankful, and it didn’t take us long at all to settle into our new routine. As for my job front – I’m still trying to work through all the logistics of starting a new business. Cammeo Head to Toe Styling officially soft launched on the blog – you can check out the announcement here. I even ordered business cards and had my first closet makeover client with a couple more in the pipeline 🙂 Since I also want to leverage my digital marketing experience, but from a remote work environment – I’ve been talking with companies I’ve found through The Second Shift and PowerToFly about various opportunities. So stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed!

In the midst of toddler tantrums, house demands, and new routines – we are allowing ourselves a minute to pause and celebrate a very long year come to a close. While we may not have started out knowing it was going to be a “leap year”, I can’t possibly think of a better way to encompass all we’ve been through. We may have drifted, but our sails are set due North. Lord only knows what 2017 will bring…

CH2T Covets: Holiday Edition

I’m excited this year to finally be doing a Holiday Edition of CH2T Covets! Since I know outfits don’t just throw themselves together, I’ve listed some tips below to help guide some of your style and gifting choices for the holiday season upon us.

I’ve also featured my most recent addition to the CH2T accessories family – an uber cool JORD wood watch that I’ve paired with a Thanksgiving, Holiday party, and Christmas look. And you’re in luck my friends because I’ve partnered with JORD to offer y’all a Holiday Giveaway. Every person who enters will be instantly emailed a $25 e-gift code to use on their site! So check it out, and don’t be tardy for the party 😉

 

Thanksgiving Comfy:

1) JORD Wood Watches Fieldrest Series, Dark Sandalwood

I’ve never been one for gaudy or girly accessories, but have always felt like a classic timepiece can truly pull an outfit together. So when I found this JORD watch, I fell in love with the sleek style and dark sandalwood that I knew would be the perfect compliment to the holiday looks I paired it with below. I tend to wear my watches more like a bracelet, and I like how the band is a little larger without being too bulky. It also has a scratch resistant mineral glass face, which gives you the benefits of a sapphire crystal without the pricetag. Plus it’s key when you’re running around with a toddler all day!

2) Calvin Klein/TJ Maxx, Long-Sleeve Plaid Shirt (birthday gift, similar here, here and here)

I think it’s fair to say that plaid is like the sartorial anthem for the holidays. So I recommend investing in some lightweight ones that are comfy enough to wear all day cooking/eating/sleeping (which I will be doing all three) on Thanksgiving. I was just gifted this Calvin Klein blouse by my sister-in-law for my birthday, and the best part is it’s super soft cotton and tunic shape that helps hide all that turkey and stuffing 🙂

3) Kenneth Cole, High-Waisted Frayed Denim (bought from outlet, similar here) & Guess, Black Suede Pumps (old, similar here)

I’m so over low-waisted jeans – just say “no” to crack! I started off buying these Kenneth Cole ones for the frayed look, but fell doubly in love when I realized they were a flattering high-waist fit. I prefer a cut that’s more skinny (can’t quite get into the wide-leg frayed look just yet), to show off those killer heels. Heels on Thanksgiving, why not?

Holiday Party in Style:

1) Via Spiga/Nordstrom Rack, Beline Over-the-Knee Boot

It was only a matter of time until I felt the undeniable need to possess a pair of over-the-knee boots. This fall season’s styles are by far my most favorite, with varying shades of gray suede being my absolute fave. When I set my eyes on these Via Spiga boots a mere two weeks before my birthday last month – the hubs snatched them up when I wasn’t looking and I couldn’t be happier with them. How perfect would they be for all those fun holiday parties coming up? Be prepared to stand out – in a good way 🙂

2) Banana Republic Factory at Houston Premium Outlets, Cowl Neck Sweater (similar here and here) & Corduroy Mini Skirt

Even though moving back to Texas pretty much means saying bye-bye to all my chunky sweaters for all but 2 days out of the year – I couldn’t resist this Banana Republic cowl neck long sweater. I’d been mentally planning all my fall outfits around said new OTK boots, and one such look was the chunky sweater + mini skirt combo. I just loved the plum/raisin color of this corduroy mini, and knew it would pair perfectly with neutrals. Done and done.

3) Adrienne Vittadini/Marshalls, Charging Wallet/Wristlet Clutch (birthday gift, similar here and here)

Gone are the days of me cursing my phone for not holding a charge. When I came across this charging wallet at Marshalls, I just thought to myself – genius. Fashionable and functional is the name of the game when you’re a mom, and I love the gray pebble leather which makes it versatile with black or brown. It’s also perfect as a wristlet clutch to compliment that killer holiday look, all the while making sure you don’t miss out on all those Instagrammable moments.

Christmastime is Here:

1) Ralph Lauren/Marshalls, Skinny Leather Pant (clearance, similar here, here, here and here)

So by now you’ve probably heard about the great POD fiasco this summer, where nearly half my wardrobe got stolen. Of course it couldn’t have been all my junky t-shirts and pajamas – noooo it had to be my favorite leather leggings and dressy clothes. Ever since then, I’ve made a mental note of the key wardrobe essentials that needed to be replaced and keep a watchful eye out anytime I’m browsing the shops. And hey, I love H&M as much as the next girl, but the hubs and I agreed it makes the most sense to invest a little bit more on these pieces that I know I’m going to wear time and time again. So as I flippantly tossed each article of clothing aside on the Marshalls clearance rack one day, I did a hard stop when I felt the high-quality leather of a pair of leggings. I about choked when I saw the label. No way was I about to score a pair of Ralph Lauren leather pants at 80% off. Yes way, and you better believe I held onto those like I’d just found the holy grail.

2) Cynthia Rowley/Marshalls, Merino Wool Pointelle Sweater (similar here and here)

You know when you find the perfect pair of pants/skirt, then go to try them on and realize you don’t have the right top on? Tell me I’m not the only one who sifts around the racks to find the just-right-perfect top, or sweater in this case, to give yourself the full dressing room experience. The only problem is, about 99% of the time I end up falling in love with the “interim” top and have to get it. Good thing this one wasn’t too much of a splurge, and how could I deny it in all its drapey gloriousness?

3) All Saints/Bloomingdales, Ankle Boot (no longer available, similar here, here and here)

If there’s one wardrobe staple I recommend to all my clients/friends – it’s the ankle boot. I don’t foresee this one going away for a while and I pray to the fashion gods that it doesn’t. You can wear it with jeans rolled up, sweater dresses, pencil skirts, and my personal favorite – leather leggings 🙂 So getchya a pair!

p.s. A little monkey woke up from his nap at the tail end of our shoot, so I bribed him with a sucker and snagged a few shots for your viewing pleasure 😉

 

 

This post was sponsored by JORD Wood Watches

Wooden Wristwatch

Links à la Mode, November 17th

• April was Here: Thanksgiving Outfit Idea: Floral Dress
• Cammeo Head to Toe: CH2T Covets: Holiday Edition
• Cat Eyes & Skinny Jeans: October 2016 Empties
• Cover Mum: Breton Stripes… Bien sûr!
• Distinguished Diva: On Beauty by Zadie Smith
• Fancier’s World: How to Wear a Bodycon Dress Without a Flat Stomach
• Five Foot Nothing Shopping: 16 Ways to Wear Booties
• Have Clothes, Will Travel: All About the Accessories
• In a Nutshell: Lady V London Pink Flamingo Madison Dress in Paradise!
• I’m a Norbyah: Insert Brand Here
• Les Assorties’: Introducing: Matter
• Lil Miss Bianca: How to Start a Conversation Using Fashion
• Lucy Van Dean: Trends and Personal Style
• Mon-Chic Style: Rocking the Punk Style
• One Awesome Momma: 4 Ways to Wear Chambray Shirt
• Pudding Monster: Do Snail Products Really Work?
• Smile is it: Burgundy and Stripes
• Style Splash: Matalan Floral Print Dress
• Tori Dany Designs: Black Jackets for All Seasons
• Wish and Wear: Accidental Trans-Seasonal Dressing

SPONSOR: Amazon’s Shopbop, Ganni, Flight 001 Accessories, Gift Guide, P.E NATION, JADE Swim, Marion Parke, Bell Sleeve Tops, Camera Bags, Shearling Boots, Men’s Aer

Top 5 Pins of the Week: Bombs Away

This past week I found myself turning to Pinterest more often than usual grasping for a little style inspiration. You might recall from our recent moving debacle, that somewhere in West LA a woman (or man for that matter) is walking around wearing half my wardrobe. Hence, I’m having to come up with more creative ways to make what clothes I have left work overtime. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Pinterest is your friend. I personally find it to be the best place to get a quick dose of fashion inspo, and the best part is that I can do it at night after I put the little guy down and have all my new outfit ideas ready to reference the next morning. Bazinga. Warning though – I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me slightly more shopping obsessed than I already am. However, after working for years to clean my closet down to the bare essentials (with a little help from some thieves), I don’t just shop mindlessly like I used to in my twenties. My method is simple – I see an outfit like one of the ones below, and I imagine what from my own wardrobe can I use to recreate it. Then, I allow myself to purchase that one last article of clothing that’s needed to complete the outfit and make it on trend. This week, it was the bomber jacket. I mean, you can’t be on Instagram for more than five seconds before you see every blogger and her mom sporting some variation of it. And truth be told, I’m diggin’ it. I’ve included links to some of my faves below, as well as a shameless sneak peek plug for my next post, where I sport the bomber I scored at Target for under $30! You’re welcome (in my best “Stewie” voice)…

 

 

Links à la Mode, September 29th

• Al-Balsam Life: Milan Fashion Week: Bottega Veneta’s Leather & Absolute Wearability
• Anti.Muse: Anti.Musings: My Alternative Fashion Story
• Cammeo Head to Toe: Top 5 Pins of the Week: Bombs Away
• Cat Eyes & Skinny Jeans: August 2016 Empties!
• Cover Mum: Reveal Your Inner Wild Cat
• Distinguished Diva: Luxury Wood Watch Editorial plus Jord Watch Giveaway
• Elements of Ellis: White Jeans for Fall
• Everyday Starlet: How to Get Rid of Dark Circles with Eye Creams & Color Correcting
• Finite1: How To Wear A Dress From Day To Night
• Happy. Pretty. Sweet.: Updating My Wardrobe for Fall With Stitch Fix
• Have Clothes, Will Travel: In the Land Down Under
• Lady Diana’s Pearls: Mod Henley Shirtdress
• Layers of Chic: Fall Staples: Cool Watch & Effortless Wool Dress
• Life in the Fash Lane: Fall Must-Have: Army Jacket + Style Tips
• Live Eco Chic: BonJOY a Subscription Box with Social Impact
• Middle of Somewhere: The Weekly Style Edit Link Up: Denim
• Modavracha: What Your Fall Outfits Are Missing: Velvet Shoes
• Mox and Socks: How to Scout the Perfect Spot for a Photo Shoot
• The Curious Portafoglio: Fashion Designer to Know: Ronald Van Der Kemp
• The House Blend: Fall Must-Have: Army Jacket + Style Tips

SPONSOR: Shopbop, Saylor, Salvatore Ferragamo Clothing, Petersyn Tops, Rime Arodaky, Army By Yves Salomon, Spencer Vladimir, Sleepwear, Thigh High Boots, Leather Jackets, Men’s Tomorrowland

CH2T Covets: Farfetch for the Holidays

What do you say when one of your favorite shopping sites, Farfetch, challenges you to a “style-off”? Game on.

I mean how much easier can it get – they have more than 300 visionary fashion boutiques making up over 1,000 labels all in one place. My only real problem was choosing just one look that I deemed the perfect party outfit for the holidays. I don’t know about you, but I can’t seem to go anywhere without seeing a new fashion trend right now. From new age fringe to the old faithful sequins – my head was virtually spinning trying to narrow down my choices. But like any good stylist (or anyone else who’s rocked the day-long marathon power shopping trip where you go for one dang thing and end up with nothing), I simply went back to the basics.

The key is to pick one statement piece to really set the tone for the look, and the rest will just fall into place. After waffling back and forth over these Alice + Olivia sequined wide leg trousers, I remembered that the holidays call for something you’d typically not wear. So how do you toe the line between fashion forward vs. looking like a bad gift wrapping job? Check out my steadfast rules below that helped me find a look I’m calling “Holiday Party Priss” – minus the Miss Priss attitude 😉

The Statement Piece: Skirting the Issue

When I landed on this Giamba brocade flared skirt – I knew it was “the one”. It has the perfect level of holiday glitz with a whole lotta glam to spare. Plus the color keeps you from falling into the typical red & green holiday-dressing trap, where you end up looking more like a Christmas tree skirt (which is not the kind of fashion statement I’m talking about). Not to mention marsala is the color of the year after all.

Supporting Roles: The Perfect Garnish

I’ve always been a fan of the classic “secretary blouse” which has made quite the resurgence since the 80s. I particularly love it in black since it doesn’t compete with the holiday festiveness of the skirt. But what really sells this look for me, are the skirt + ankle boots – which happens to be my favorite sartorial combo. Top that off with a belted coat and geometric gold & black clutch – done and done.

Moschino, Pussybow Blouse

2NOIR, Double Breasted Knot Tie Coat

Nicholas Kirkwood, ‘Carnaby’ Boots

Guiseppe Zanotti Design, Geometric Design Clutch

Adventures in Shopping: Tour de Couture LA

It seems like everyday I’m reminded what a small world we live in. Case in point, I was first introduced to Tour de Couture through a colleague of mine at Los Angeles magazine. Not a week goes by, and I get an email from a fellow stylist friend Laurie Brucker of Laurie B Style telling me how I have to meet her friend Ali Kahn (who’s also a personal/celebrity stylist), and hear about her new company.

So Ali and I meet over coffee (who am I kidding, it was mostly us wolfing down desserts and taking two sips of coffee – which led to one of many instant connections). We immediately realize how we are both from Houston and that she went to my husband’s alma mater Texas Tech (this Longhorn agreed to set aside our football rivalry, for now). As if I needed any more reason to like her, she took me through her idea around creating Tour de Couture and I literally said out loud “Man, I wish I’d thought of that!”. Her premise for the tour comes from realizing that so many people (both locals and tourists) are inundated with busy schedules and an overwhelming list of options when trying to navigate the LA shopping scene. Enter TdC – where you can craft your own L.A. shopping experience, from the type of style (vintage, designer, modern, boutique, etc.) to the level of luxury treatment you’re seeking. So naturally it got me thinking – how fun would it be to plan a killer shopping trip the next time all my besties are in town, or finally something unique and fun to do for a bachelorette weekend. She currently offers three types of tours for who she’s calling her “couturists”: Pret-A-Party, Haute Pursuit, and Bespoke.

I was lucky enough to be invited on a VIP tour she designed for me and 5 other editors/bloggers. And let me tell you, it was hands down one of the coolest things I’ve done in LA. We all met up at The Grove where we were greeted with champagne and swag bags in a super swanky Mercedes-Benz sprinter van. Once we hit the road, we were filmed for our intros on a video she plans to use for her site – to which I gave fair warning that when I drink “my country comes out” (so Ali – you have full reign to edit me out 😉 ). The minute I stepped foot in the first boutique, I knew it was gonna be a “camera-happy” kinda day – but hey, that’s what I’m here for right? Check out the whole tour below to see some of my favorites at each stop, with a few shameless selfies thrown in – but hey, it wouldn’t be a blogger event without ’em amirite??

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CH2T Covets: Well Vested

I can’t recall exactly when my obsession with vests started, but it’s the real deal. You know when someone tells you something you’ve never heard about or seen before, and then all the sudden you start seeing it e-ver-y-where? Yah, it’s like that.

In fact, I never knew there were so many different styles of vests. My favorite are the structured suit type and long duster, that add a level of sophistication to even the most basic of outfits. Although, I feel like there’s still a stigma when you say “vest”, that invokes images of Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite. So I’m here to set the record straight with my top finds that I’ve been gathering for you fine folks. If you don’t see something you like here – I’ve partnered with the new Donde Fashion app, an icon-based platform that allows you to search more than 6,000 brands by simply selecting the clothing type, color, material, etc. Think of it as Pinterest, but even more addictive for major shopaholics. Check out my Style Council feature on their blog, and download the app for free in the App Store. Search and follow my feed (cammeomurray) to shop my Wishlist of vests, right meow.

Tried & True Beauty: They’re Real, I Swear

How does the saying go? Good things come in threes? Well, I never thought that could apply to mascara, but apparently Benefit Cosmetics knows something I don’t. They generously gifted me with a set of they’re real! lengthening mascaras in three killer colors, and I couldn’t wait to try them. I was already sold on their jet black shade, after trying it a couple years ago when it first came out. So I was excited to try the Beyond Brown and Beyond Blue shades to see just how daring I could be. As if I wasn’t hooked enough, they totally got me with the quirky Sharknado 3 promos “Oh Hellllll No!”

My Week in Style: Femme Moderne

Coming off the heels of Paris Fashion Week, I thought it would be apropos to finally pay some homage to French fashion. I can’t really pinpoint exactly when I started to admire French style, but there truly is something undeniably classy about the way their women dress and carry themselves. Being a first generation Italian-American, with a father who had some very serious Sicilian roots – I was lucky enough to have grown up traveling Europe, visiting family in southern Italy and Sicily. Because my parents both had a deep love affair with Paris, we always flew Air France to squeeze in a stop over on our travels to Italy. Truth be told, they just had the genius to realize French airplane food is better than whatever those other airlines call that stuff (I’m going with “goulash”).

Form of Flattery: Windswept

Everyone’s heard the saying “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” I for one, have played that over and over again in my head ever since I was a young girl first exploring my sense of style – wondering how guilty I should feel going and buying that shirt or shoes that I spotted on a (seemingly much cooler) girl at school.

Fast forward 20 years, and I still do it today. The difference is, with the widespread popularity of style bloggers and fashion-centric social media sites (I’m looking at you, Pinterest), it’s far more socially acceptable. In fact, it’s customary and down-right necessary to turn to those whose style you admire as a way to even make it out of your closet in the morning. So alas my friends, I have learned to embrace the notion of imitation as a form of flattery, and I am here to tell you – it’s ok, don’t beat yourself up. We all do it.