"spring"ing forward

March will be here next week. [woop woop! that's my birthday month!] When you think March, do you think spring? Because I do. But all of these thoughts of springy-ness is not helping my spring/summer fever! I love warm weather. Summer clothes, shoes & accessories are my favorite. So today's post will be what to look for when you start shopping for this spring! Are rompers still in? Gladiator sandals? And what colors will be hot this summer? Well, thankfully I'm here [with various other sources] to help you!

• Well I've got some good news and bad news. Rompers will still be hot for this spring. That's good news for some. Those who can actually pull off the look. But it's definitely bad news for all who try and don't succeed. I know better than to try and pull of a romper. I, in no way, have any kind of shape or form to pull it off. You have to have just the right size torso. Otherwise you will either have a camel toe or a saggy crotch. Neither of which are a good thing. So please have caution with the rompers. Always get a second opinion. This look could be tragic.

• I know that lots of people get married in the summer. So naturally when you think weddings, you probably think lace. Good news. Lace is in. But not necessarily the "white" lace you are envisioning when you think weddings. [Side note: when attending weddings, don't ever wear white. It's disrespectful to the bride. This will be a future blog post, I'm sure.]

• Stripes. Just like rompers, this could be good or bad news. It all depends on how you wear the stripes. If you choose a top with wide stripes that go straight across, that's probably not the best idea. If you are wanting the slimmer look, the smaller the stripe, the smaller you'll look. Also, diagonal or vertical stripes are your best bet. They will give you a better look.

OPI Nail Lacquer - Cajun Shrimp

• Bright orange/red. This is a bright and bold color. It screams summer. I personally love it. It works with almost any hair color. You can wear black and brown with it. Wear it on a top, pants, shoes, or your nails. Just don't do too much of it. You don't want people having heart attacks when they see you.

• Wedges. If you are like me and don't really wear heels that much, wedges will be your best friend this spring/summer. Wedges give you the height that you need. But they give you so much more support, rather than a high heel. They work with almost any outfit. Skinny jeans. Shorts. Dresses. Perfection.

• When you think "floral print" you might think of your grandmother. Well guess what? Your grandma might just be one step ahead of you. Floral prints are a great way to girl it up and mix it up a little. Try wearing a floral dress or romper with a faux leather jacket on top. It will give you a soft, yet hardcore girly look.




There are more styles that I'll be sharing over the next month. These are just a few to help you "spring forward" instead of taking fashion steps back.

glitter, sequins and sparkles. oh my!

This week is pay week - aka - Amy went to the mall this week.

I was actually on the hunt for something purple to wear to the state championship football game on Saturday to support the El Dorado Wildcats! But did you know - purple is one of the hardest colors to shop for? It's ridiculous. Anyway - that's not the point to the post.

The point is while I was looking for purple, I found a very cute blazer. It had a great shape to it and I thought to myself, "This might actually work for me?" [finding an appropriate fitting blazer for a short armed, no shouldered girl is HARD work] But here's the catch. It's silver.... and made out of sequins! Very similar to the following picture:

So you might be asking, "Ok, so what's the problem with it?" OR you might be asking "Are you seriously going to wear that?" I'm a girl. I love glitter, sequins and all things sparkly. But I also know that there can be too much of a good thing, i.e. sequins.

Some say wearing sequins is cheesy. Some say wearing sequins is classy. I say wearing sequins [in a moderate fashion] is a great thing! Especially with the holiday season! There will be plenty of parties to hit up and don't you want to make a grand entrance? Walk into a room with a little *sparkle* and you will shine. Literally. :)

Therefore, I bought the blazer. If you don't believe that this statement is "in", check out who else has been sporting the sequined blazers!

Rachel Bilson

Elle Macpherson, Mischa Barton & Shenae Grimes

Whitney Port & Lauren Conrad

[who would be two of my idols if I were allowed to have idols!]

Here are some other ways to incorporate some *sparkle* in your outfits for this holiday season!

Just make sure you don't wear all of these at once! Not only do they not match, they would make someone lose their eye sight! Or have a seizure. So please - have caution when sporting the bling!

Also - another quick tip for the bling - One thing I do before I leave to go out is take one piece of jewelry off. If you are wearing more than 3 pieces of jewelry, just stop and take a piece off. (I got this tip from Nina Garcia and her book The Little Black Book of Style - GREAT book! Must read)

I write what I know. and I know All Things Girl.

black vs brown

Black vs Brown. The two colors that people say "never wear together!" Surely wearing them together makes for some sort of fashion faux pas? But today, I want to show you ways that you can make these two colors compliment each other.

First I'd like to start by showing a couple of examples of how NOT to wear black and brown together.

Emmy Rossum is a beautiful girl. But wearing a mostly black outfit and then throwing on a brown bag? Not ok. The picture on the right is just 7 different kinds of wrong.. but we are focusing on the black and brown.

Don't be discouraged. Everyone is entitled to a few fashion faux pas in their lifetime. I know I've had my fair share of them. So let's find out how black and brown work together...

Above are just a few examples of how you can mix the two colors. My favorite example is the second from the left - Anne Hathaway. (And for all of you movie buffs out there, tell me what movie this is from!)

It's really all about the different colors of brown that you try and mix with black. Obviously, tans are more of a neutral color than a brown color. And neutrals go great with black. But the amazing chocolate leather jacket and a simple black turtleneck sweater - pure genius. I also love how Kristen Bell (first picture from the right) throws a simple brown cardigan over a black dress with darker brown boots.

So you're probably thinking - "Ok, so movies stars can get away with it. But that doesn't help me any."

I've put an outfit together for you..... you're welcome :)

• Black turtleneck sweater

• Dark wash skinny jeans

• Wedge knee high boots

• Simple gold earrings

• Black & gold bangles

I hope this helps you when you're out shopping and you stop and think...."Does this actually work together?" And if you have to take longer than 10 minutes to figure it out....it probably doesn't work.

I write what I know. And I know All Things Girl.

[this post was inspired by Kati Baldwin. thanks, Kati!]

fashion for passion?

"Fashion for passion." You are probably thinking, "Don't you mean passion for fashion?" No, fashion for passion is exactly what I meant. Today, I want to share with you some ways to keep up your fashion habits, but while helping someone else out all at the same time. 

TOMS

Everyone has heard of TOMS shoes by now. But TOMS has expanded since it became so popular. You can now purchase boots, wedges and even "wedding style" shoes. If you don't know about TOMS, here's a brief summary of what they're about:

In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by TOMS customers.

So the next time you are looking for a pair of shoes, check out TOMS. They would make a great Chrsitmas present because you will be buying shoes for two different people. 

fashionABLE

Do you love scarves just as much as I do? Have you ever heard of fashionABLE? Just in case you haven't, here is a brief summary of what they're all about:

Your purchase of a fashionABLE scarf creates sustainable business for women in Africa.  Our commitment as a non-profit is to the development of people — fashionABLE works with women who have been exploited due to the effects of poverty.  So, when you purchase a scarf you are providing jobs, and then we send the profits back to holistically rehabilitate more women. This is the beauty of non-profit….Scarves provide jobs, profits provide restoration.

{ Thanks to Whitney Burger for telling me about this! }

Here are some other ideas of how you can give back:

• Host a fashion show in honor of your favorite non-profit, donating all of your proceeds to that organization.

• Contact your favorite non-profit and see if there are any upcoming events you can volunteer at.

• Do you like getting crafty? Arts and crafts are not just for play time. Get crafty, sell your merchandise and donate the proceeds.

• Instead of asking for presents for Christmas this year, ask for money instead. Then donate the money to your church or organization of choice.

• Contact your church (or a local church if you aren't a member anywhere else) and ask if there are any opportunities to give for the holiday season. I know churches everywhere have some way you can get involved.

Blake had a passion for the children in Argentina. The creators of fashionABLE had a passion for unemployed women in Africa. How will you use fashion for your passion?


I write what I know. And I know All Things Girl.

I don't love fashion.

Sorry for not blogging too much this week. I've been sick, but feeling much better now! Since I was sick, my parents came by to check on me last night and my mom brought me some magazines to read. (She knows me so well.) I started thumbing through them last night and got really sad all of a sudden. I was looking through some of the high fashion ads and that's when it hit me. How can I ever support an industry that is driven from everything I'm against? It drives girls to eating disorders, encourages people to drop boat-loads of cash, and supports all things material. How could I ever love such a thing?

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying we can't have nice things. I think as long as we are consistently giving to the church, paying our bills and spending a little of what's left over (in that order), it's not a bad thing to want nice things.

I think when I say I love fashion, I really just mean clothes. Sure I might like looking at pictures hot off the runway, but honestly I just love clothes. And all things that go with clothes. Shoes. Jewelry. Handbags. I love how wearing an outfit can make you feel on top of the world. Give me a button down, pencil skirt and a pair of heels and I feel like I could run the country. Sure, some might say that's shallow. "Our identity should come from being faithful women of God." And I agree. God should be our Sustainer and Comforter and we should have much confidence in knowing He will always love us no matter how short, tall, fat or thin we might be. But I think it's the little things that can help our self esteem that day, one being the outfit you wear.

With that said, I think it is very important to dress to our body type. This could probably be a whole other blog post, but I really wanted to add this in. Every woman is different. We are all different shapes and sizes. And I absolutely love that God made us all unique. But with that, too many people try and wear the latest trends and it might not be the most flattering to their body type. I have been guilty of this in the past. But it is important that we accept who we are, that extra 10 lbs and all, and dress to our body type. If you are short, don't wear boots up to your knees. It's just going to visually shorten your legs. If you are tall, don't wear a mini skirt accidentally exposing your bum. Let's just be honest and say that looks somewhat trashy. If you are thick, don't wear a tight shirt with horizontal stripes on it. It's just going to make you look wider. If you are thin... well.. congratulations. Not many things look awful on you. Just promise not to gloat about it too much! :) If you aren't sure if you are dressing to your body type, take me on your next shopping trip! I will show you some great basic pieces to keep in your closet that you will be able to mix and match. I might not be Clinton & Stacey, but I would sure enjoy trying to be!

So no, I don't love "fashion". I love helping people gain that extra bit of confidence they need for that Manic Monday at work.

I write what I know. And I know All Things Girl.

woo pig souieee

I know sports doesn't really fall under "All Things Girl," but a lot of southern girls enjoy football. Whether it's the thrill of the game, planning watch parties, or they just love wearing the Razorback red (and who doesn't love red?), college football is just part of southern heritage. Therefore, today's post will be about the big game tomorrow...

 

VS

This is where the All Things Girl comes in.

When you think of attending a football game, you think sweatshirts, jeans and painted bodies. But football games are more of a fashion show than you think. I mean, think about it. Sure there are girls who sport the t shirt and jeans look. And I'm telling you now, that is completely ok! You are at a football game! But for those of you who like to dress up a little more, this is for you. If you are struggling to figure out what exactly to wear, I'm here to help you out.

For the RAZORBACK fan:

You can find this outfit at XXI. Pairing a simple red top to a super cute skirt would be a great option! 

I would even bring a light jacket along, just in case the weather is a little too cool for your preference. Try a cute black blazer or a simple black cardigan.

These black suede ballet flats complete the look!

For the AGGIES fan:

I am obsessed with this dress. It is simple, chic and the perfect Aggie maroon!

This neutral ankle bootie would take this outfit to the next level. I know some might think "wearing heels to a football game?" But this isn't just any football game. It's the Hogs vs Aggies. at the Cowboys stadium? It's kind of a big deal.

Although I will not be attending the fashion show.. oops! I mean.. the football game, I will proudly be sporting Razorback red all weekend. Yes I have some dear friends that attend Texas A&M but my heart lies with Arkansas... so let's call those Hogs!

WOOOOO PIG SOUIEEE!!!

"falling" up instead of down

Good afternoon, ladies! (and those few men who might read this)

Fall is here like I have previously stated. With that said, this seasons trends are finally kicking into full gear. So how do people know what's going to be "in" this season? and who actually says, "yes, we're going to bring back fur vests." Well, it's all those people you hear about on E! News or The Rachel Zoe Project. Chanel. Versace. Marc Jacobs. Michael Kors. Hermés. Yves Saint Laurent. Alexander McQueen. Those are the people and companies that determine what's going to be in. And people know what's going to be in next season because the fashion industry is always one season ahead. Yep.. that's right. All of these designers are not worrying about what's in this season. They're already stressing about what they're coming out with next season.

On the topic trends, let me state that just because something is "in" or popular, does NOT mean you should wear it. There are certain styles that come in and out that just aren't very flattering on everyone. These next few trends are things that are in for this fall season. Just remember to try on everything and always get a second opinion.

JEWEL TONES

Whether its clothes, jewelry, shoes, handbags - jewel tones are hot. One of my favorites is the royal blue. That color is flattering on anyone and everyone.

METALLICS

Just like with jewel tones, it doesn't matter if its clothing, shoes, handbags or jewelry. Metallics give you that touch of glamour and confidence. Just make sure not to over do it. Wearing too much bling can make people go blind.

CHUNKY SWEATERS

Throw on some skinnies (skinny jeans), a simple tee and a chunky sweater and you have the "I care enough to look somewhat put together" look going on. and most of you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you are out running errands, meeting a friend for a quick lunch, or just heading to the mall for some retail therapy, this is the look for you. Neutral colors work best for chunky sweaters. This gives you the option to wear any color shoes. (This is where the jewel toned shoes or jewelry could come into play.)

SUEDE BOOTS

These are one of my favorite parts of cold weather. I adore boots. Especially suede boots. These are a little taller that I prefer them (just because I have some of the shortest legs in mankind.) But they are perfect for fall. They can dress up any outfit. Try wearing a tunic style chunky sweater (in other words - long enough to cover your bum), leggings & a pair of suede boots. So comfortable, yet stylish. It will change your life.

ANDROGYNOUS PIECES

What is androgyny you ask? Wikipedia defines it as the mixture of feminine and masculine characteristics. I know what you are thinking. "I'm a woman? I don't want to dress like a man." But adding an androgynous piece to an outfit can look very chic and sexy. The boyfriend blazer is the perfect example of this. Throw on a pair of skinnies, a printed tunic and add a boyfriend blazer. It gives it a more structured, but yet classy look. If that doesn't work for you, try a metallic tee, a cardigan and a pair of boyfriend jeans. Add a pair of high heels and you will look like a movie star. (Katie Holmes, Jennifer Aniston, and Megan Fox, along with many other celebrities, are very into boyfriend jeans.)

Now don't get me wrong. Too much of these good things could end up being a bad thing. But just adding a few of these styles to your wardrobe will give you what it takes to make it in the world of fashion this season.

Ladies, lets try "falling" up this season instead of falling down.

I write what I know. and I know All Things Girl.