Date Night Chic

Jeans:  Torrid (Available here)
Blazer:  The Limited (Similar here)

I come up with more evening/date night clothing ideas than I get a chance to wear.   My personal aesthetic in fashion steers more towards evening looks.  Unfortunately, my work life (corporate office) and home life (five kids and a man who both works and is in school full-time) mean limited opportunities for going-out fashion.

Blouse:  The Limited

Heels:  Target (Available here)
Earrings:  Target

That's where playing dress up comes in.  I have loved playing dress up ever since I can remember.  I didn't play dress-up to engage in fantasy play that I was a princess or a superhero.  Instead, I made up commercials in front of the mirror advertising the "new fashion boutique" that just opened, describing in detail whatever crazy look I had created. 

Clutch:  Target (Available in stores)

My love for playing dress up has never really gone away, and today's look was one created while doing just that.   Today's look pairs skinny jeans with a sequined blouson tank and tuxedo blazer.

Bracelet:  eBay (Similar here)

I love the sexy laid-back vibe of this look.  I would definitely wear this look out for a dinner date with the man.

Do you like to play dress up?

For this blazer in other looks, see here and here.
To see this blouse styled differently, see here and here.
For these jeans in another look, see here.

Leather and Lace

For today's look, I paired a black faux leather skirt with a lace and faux leather top.  

Blouse:  Forever 21+ (Available here)
Skirt:  The Limited (Available here)

I love wearing leather and lace - such a great mix of hard and soft.  

Shoes:  eBay (Available here)

Tank:  Old Navy Petites (Similar here)

Such a mix of fabrics could easily translate to a bad 80s combo, but the more modest and modern shapes of this outfit feel spot-on to me.

Clutch:  Target (Available in stores)

This look combines two of spring's major trends - graphic black and white and leather.

For more on the black and white trend for spring, see here and here.

For this skirt in another look, see here.
For this blouse in another look, see here.

Punch It Up

Happy Thursday everyone!

Blouse:  The Limited (Similar here)
Pants:  The Limited (Similar here)

Today's look is one of my favorite spring/summer outfits.  I'm in love with the color and fit of this caftan-style top. 

Tank:  Old Navy Petites (Similar here)
Shoes:  Target (old)

I plan on wearing it with white skinny jeans this summer, but yesterday, I dressed the look up a little bit with black pants and strappy heeled sandals.

Purse:  The Limited (old)
Necklace:  Target (old)

We were having an amazing spring thunderstorm while I was taking these pics, so I was getting the perfect breeze during these pictures! 

Cuff:  The Limited (old)
Earrings:  Express (old)

Hope you all have a great day!!  :-)

A is for A-line

Recently, I've been playing around with skirts in different shapes.  Today's look features an A-line skirt.

Skirt:  Target (Available here)
Blazer:  New York & Company

In my early 20s, I lived in mini skirts (the shorter the better).  About six years ago, it was all maxi skirts, all the time.  More recently, I seem to have stuck to pencil skirts. Now, I'm in the mood for more variety. 

Blouse:  Old Navy Petites (Similar here)
Boots:  Payless (old)

Necklace:  Express (old)

I recently found this skirt at Target.  It has a matching bralette top, which sealed the deal for me.  The top is on back-order, but I definitely plan to rock the bare midriff look soon!

Purse:  The Limited (Similar here)

Belt:  The Limited

Yesterday, I wore this look to work.  The simple top and blazer kept the look professional, but the faux leather sleeves on the blazer, ankle boots, print of the skirt, and necklace gave the look a cool edge.

Do you like A-line skirts?

To see this blazer styled differently, click here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Zesty Lemon and Lace

I love unexpected pieces that pop into my life.  

Pants:  The Limited (Sold out in navy on-line; Available in black here)
Lace tunic:  Forever 21+ (Available  here)

I was very excited to find this lace top from Forever 21+  It's long enough to wear as a dress (once I find a suitable lining), but I also love it over skinny pants.

Jacket:  The Limited (Available here)
Tank:  Target (Available in other colors )

Remember how I said that petite girls have to be careful not to go too long with tops?  Tops that hit mid to upper-thigh are a no-no (unless you really love them, and then, do whatever you want!).  I think a knee-length top like is a different story.  It works here because the pants are kept narrow.

I threw on my lemon yellow faux leather jacket and added a clutch, and I was good to go!  

To see these pants styled differently, see here, here, here, and here.
For this jacket in other looks, see here and here.

Casual Monday!

Jeans:  Torrid (Available here)
Blouse:  The Limited (Sold out on-line; may be available in some stores)

Today is the St. Louis Cardinals' season home opener, so we had a casual day at my job.

I decided to wear my new stiletto skinny jeans from Torrid and mixed them with a red and navy printed top.  The ankle-zip jeans are just a tad too long, but I'm hoping they'll shrink up a bit.  

Blazer:  The Limited
Tote:  The Limited

I was hunting for for a pair of distressed jeans, but I couldn't find any that I liked.  Most factory-distressed jeans are overdone, in my opinion.  I am planning on giving these a DIY-distressing job but decided to wear them today before they get too casual for work.

Necklace:  Vintage Judith Leiber
Clutch:  Vintage 1980s

For work, I added a red blazer to dress the look up a bit and to show support for the Redbirds.

I'm not much of a professional sports fan, but I decided to take the opportunity for another day of casual at work.

Heels:  Target (old)

Hope you all had a great day!!

Do you like sports?

To see this top in other looks, see here, here, and here. 

Maximum Ikat

Happy Sunday everyone!

Dress:  Target (old)
Tank:  Target (Available in other colors here)

Today was a gorgeous day in my area!  It was also my honey's birthday.  We went out for a casual and delicious Mexican dinner.

Sandals:  Target Kid's Dept. (old) (Similar here)

I wore this flowy ikat print maxi dress and silver strappy flat sandals. 

Easy and comfortable!!

Do you like wearing maxi dresses?