The one with the mommy bun

Hi!

I don't know why, but I'm really obsessed with peplum.  Something about the silhouette reminds me of the 50's and the form fitted dresses that used to be worn by women back then. I recently bought a peplum top from ASOS not too long ago and am completely in love with it.  It is by A|Wear and is made of a ponte-type fabric.  I love the pink hue and how the peplum gradually skirts out. The top I am wearing is a size 14 and is very forgiving.  Not only does the fabric stretch but it is also long enough to cover my tummy.  I decided to pair the top with my mustard belt from Target and my mustard flats from Avenue.  As you can see, my mommy cut is now a "mommy bun"!  I am still trying to figure out what the heck to do with my hair--if you have any ideas, please share them!

Top: A|Wear via ASOS

Pant: Rainbows

Shoes: Avenue

Bag: 7Chi via Amazon

Necklace: Free People

PS: I know I promised a video about scoring great deals on Amazon...it's coming soon! ;-)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

I wanted to  take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy Holiday with you and your loved ones!

No matter what holiday you celebrate, no matter how you celebrate, I wish you continued happiness and joy!

Hanky Panky

Hi!

So today I decided to give my eyes a break from my contacts and wore purple glasses.  I love these glasses because they make me look like an intellectual but at the same time I dislike them because they make me look much older than I am.  Couple that effect with my "mom cut" and I look much older than my 31 years.

I knew that I had to have this sweater dress once I saw it on the mannequin in JCPenney.  I love the rich purple shades as well as the striking zig zag pattern.  The handkerchief hem was also a plus for me as I like the boho look that many handkerchief-styled skirts and dresses have to them. After getting it home however, I started to have some doubts (don't you hate when that happens?) The dress came with this cheap-looking black belt that I absolutely did not like. Also, the dress had a cowl neck and I absolutely cannot stand cowl necks. Cowls? The word alone conjures up images that I can't even begin to describe.  Check out the pic of how I concealed the cowl...I'm too creative for words...heh, heh ;-)

I don't know if this dress will be worn again anytime soon.  Although I received alot of compliments, I think the dress makes me look much older than I am. What do you think? I kinda feel like I'm trapped in a cheesy 70's movie.

Dress: JCPenney (no longer online)

Tights: Gap

Boots: ASOS (I love these boots! They have this distressed look to them and fit divinely!)

Concealed cowl

The mom cut

Hello!

This week has been marked by prodigious amounts of eating.  Yesterday was the annual holiday potluck for our floor at my job and today, another Bureau was having a potluck celebration.  I was smart enough to wear stretchy pants for the occasion.  I wanted to show you all how I spruced up this outfit by adding several pops of color.  By itself, the polka dot shirt from Forever 21 is very “tent-ish”—I probably could’ve sized down to an XL with no problem.  I decided to add my Pieces color block belt (it's only $9 on ASOS!) to break up the monochrome colors.  This belt is awesome on so many levels.  First, it features an elasticized back. Secondly, said elasticized back is neon pink! Of course I had to break out my neon pink Corso Como ballet flats for the outfit (to do anything else would’ve been just plain wrong).  In retrospect, I probably should've worn by skinny ponte pants instead of these boot cut pants.  I think the tapered leg of a skinny pant would have given the entire outfit a sleeker look.

I’m still trying  to figure out what to do with my hair after removing my extensions.  Although I love being able to go back and forth between short and long styles,  I think I need to give the extensions a break for a while.  So how are you liking my “mom cut”? I’m a bit tempted to put in some highlights. Do I look really different with shorter hair? All I can say is thank goodness for my flat iron (a remarkable Sedu) or my hair would be all over the place (think Michelle Duggar).

Top: Forever 21

Pant: purchased from Macy's

Belt: Pieces via ASOS

Shoes: Corso Como

Back of belt.  An aside: don't you hate it when pants do that funky crinkly thing in the inner thigh area? Its enough to make me go mad!

3 days of giveaways...Day 2 and 3 winners announced!

The winner for day two of my giveaway is...

Sydai415! Please note that the first comment was not counted because no email address was left.

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The winner for day three of my giveaway is...

Tiffany! Please note that the first comment was not counted because no email address was left.

Congratulations ladies! Be on the lookout for an email from me very soon!

Rawwwwrrrrrr....

Hi!

This morning I was feeling a bit like a vixen so I decided to spice up things a bit.  I recently bought a slinky leopard top from F21 and have been trying to find a reason to wear it to work.  After much deliberation, I was like: why the heck does leopard print anything need to be justified? So I know what you are thinking: Izzy, I thought you hated leopard print? Well I kinda still do when it's all-up-in-your face.  I do, however, like leopard print in small doses and when it doesn't comprise the whole of an outfit. 

The skirt I am wearing is from Torrid and was purchased during their haute cash promotion.  If you have been on the fence about this skirt, I definitely encourage you to get it.  It has a banded top (bonus) and an off center front slit and feels great on.  Easily, the skirt is one of my favorite pieces from Torrid.  I decided to throw on my sheer BCBG cardigan that I got from TJMaxx a long time ago.  I love this particular piece because it is very versatile and has amazing stretch.  My accessories include my patent belt from the Gap and my hammered hoop earrings from Ashley Stewart.  The shoes I am wearing are pointed flats from Tarjay.  I love these shoes because they are super comfortable but they are really beat up because I've worn them so much.  I've been  really trying to wear flats less often but it is sooooo hard!  Flats are my go-to because I have realllly flat feet and they make walking a bit easier.  My challenge for the new year though is to start wearing more heels.  I've made several amazing shoe purchases the past few weeks that I can't wait to share with you all.  They are all heels too!  I'm working up the nerve to wear at least one pair before the year is over.

One outfit, different styles:

Leopard top: F21+

Skirt: Torrid

Wrap top: BCBG via TJMaxx

Belt: Gap

Earrings: Ashley Stewart

Bracelet: F21

Watch: ASOS

Shoes: Tarjay

3 days of giveaways...Day Three...

Today is the last day of my three day contest and I want to thank all those who entered!  Today's giveaway is a beautiful pair of gloves from JCrew. The color is as shown.  As always, if you want to enter, you have to follow my blog and comment with your addy below.  The deadline for this contest is Monday at 10am (EST)! Good luck!

3 days of giveaways...Day Two...

Hi!

I'm sorry for not posting yesterday, my day was completely berserk.  For the 2nd day of giveaways, I have this awesome pair of zebra tights from Forever 21.  The tights are a 1X and are super stretchy.  I think they would look great with a longline shirt and a cropped jacket! Don't forget, to enter you need to follow the blog AND leave your email addy in the comments section.  I will use a random number generator to pick a winner.  This contest is over tomorrow at 8pm (EST)!

Congratulations are due to "Jocelyn" for winning Wednesday's contest! Yippee!!!

3 days of giveaways!!!...Day One

Hello Folks!

The holidays are upon us and I am feeling a bit generous.  As a result, I am offering my readers a chance to win an item everyday for the next 3 (three) days!* All you have to do is 1) follow my blog and 2) comment below with your email address.  It's that simple! You have until 12:00pm (EST) tomorrow to enter so get to crackin'!  I will be using a random number generator to select the winner who will be announced the same day.

Today's giveaway is:

Forever 21+ sheer lace top in a 1x (could possibly fit a 2x). Currently online for $16.99!

*For those of you who are all like: "I never win anything" I say this: you can't win if you don't enter! My last contest had only ONE entrant! So what are you waiting for???

GOOD LUCK!!!

The one with the pencil dress

Hi Lovelies!

I had a hard time figuring what I was going to wear this morning and after seeing how late it was and freaking out, I opted to wear my ASOS Curve pencil dress.  I added a red patent belt to break the monotony of the black.  I was going to wear some funky red  patent flats but I decided not to (read: I couldn't find them in my messy closet) and wore my black pointed patent flats from Tarjay instead. I like the simplicity of the dress but it has the a very Amish look to it (perhaps because it is all black?) and I'm trying to think about different ways to style it because I would hate for it to end up in the back of my closet (which is no-woman's land). Underneath the dress I am wearing the Torrid Extreme Push-up bra. This is my second time wearing it and I honestly don't know how I feel about it.  I think I should have gotten a larger cup size because I get serious spillage with this bra.

I also wanted to share with you some pics of my new fave coat from Tarjay.  It is a beautiful marigold color and I am in love with the fur lapels. It is a bit snug in the bust area but I am hoping it will loosen up once I wear it a few more times.  What do you think?  It was originally $69 but I had a $10 gift card which I ended up applying to the purchase.  It is lined and actually does a good job of keeping me warm which is a plus.

Dress: ASOS Curve

Belt: Gap

Tights: Gap

Shoes: Target

Earrings: F21

Me and my smedium (small + medium) coat. The button on the right is holding on for dear life!

Club Shrine

Hi All!

I am happy to report that this past weekend was a little more eventful than most of my weekends.  A very good friend of mine recently celebrated a milestone birthday and we decided to go to Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Connecticut to commemorate the occasion. I was happy that we had a VIP table because my feet were hurting for a better part of the night.  Towards the end of the evening, I broke out my Dr. Scholls Fast Flats and my feet thanked me for it.  By the way, these shoes are the perfect go-to shoe if you are at a club and need to give the heels a break. They are about 10 bux at Amazon and you can get a 15% discount if you sign up for their subscribe and save option (and you can cancel the subscription anytime with no penalty).

Being as indecisive as I am, I packed about 3 different outfits for the night and in the end decided to wear my F21 striped dress. The two "back-ups" was a Monif C dress and a jumpsuit from Torrid. I have to admit that I wasn't too excited about my outfit choice.  The top of the dress shifted alot and I found myself constantly adjusting myself.  Although you can't see them, I'm wearing my fave Corso Cormo pumps in patent red.

Me with my trusty Dr Scholls Fast Flats

In closing, I wanted to share with you a couple of pics of the birthday girl in her amazing outfit.  She is rocking the one-arm lurex dress from Forever 21 (no longer available online) and I think it looks absolutely amazing on her.  I also think she did a great job of matching her eyeshadow with the dress!

werk it!

Think Pink

Hi!

I wanted to quickly share with you my outfit from today.  As you know, I'm more than a little obsessed with the color pink and decided to wear my fuchsia wrap shirt I got from ASOS some time ago (it is no longer available for purchase online).  Although I am far from a size 14, I have several pieces that come from ASOS' main range line which stops at a size 14.  Although I tend to opt for more of their stretchy fabrics, I decided to roll the dice with this piece (100% non stretchy) and was extremely pleased with the way it fit. The challis pants I purchased from Torrid are super comfortable and work perfectly with the top IMO.  The shoes are from ASOS and are a little snug but are the cutest flats I own (and I own alot). The stud detailing gives the shoe the perfect touch and serves to complement the entire ensemble.  If I had to do this outfit over, I would opt for a more neutral shade of lipstick and would probably throw in a clutch (what color though?). What colors are you fixated with this season?

Top: ASOS (main range)

Pant: Torrid

Belt: NY&Co

Shoes: ASOS

Bangles: Ashley Stewart

Watch: ASOS

Necklace: Heiress Boutique (Boston)

Shoe close-up



Insert clever pun here

Hi All!

Fall is my favorite season and I admit that I am a little bit late for showcasing Fall-wear but I wanted to share with you this recent outfit nonetheless.  During Anthropologie's recent Black Friday sale (where their sale section was 50% off!....squeeee!!!!), I purchased a knitted cargo skirt and a gold statement necklace.  The skirt beckoned to me this morning and I relented, deciding to pair it with a brown turtleneck from Zara (which now has US online shopping with FREE shipping and returns!....double squeeeee!!!).  Brown and orange fit so magically in my opinion and remind me so much of Fall. My shoes are the Savana oxford boot from Fossil and are a rich russet color (see pic) and fit beautifully. The cardigan is from F21's main range line and is a beautiful mustard hue. 

Quick disclaimer:  In rushing to get ready for work this morning, I picked the wrong color bra.  As you can see, the chosen beige bra is clearly visible through my top.  Execution Fail. Oh well, live and learn...

Cardigan: F21 main range

Cargo Skirt: Anthro

Turtleneck: Zara

Tights: Torrid

Necklace: Anthro

Shoes: Fossil via Amazon

The hand-on-the-hip pose is getting played out huh? I promise to change it up in the future (old habits die hard)!

...and because everything looks 10x better in black and white

Shoe close-up

Necklace close-up

Thanks to my wonderful (and patient) colleague and friend Rosa for taking these pics for me!

A Fair Isle

Hi!

I hope you all are in great spirits! Today I am taking my kids to see Happy Feet 2 and I think I am more excited than they are about it! In anticipation of what will be a fun-filled 2 hours, I decided to wear my fair isle tunic/dress I recently copped from American Eagle.  I don't know why but I absolutely love fair isle.  Alot of people think it looks chintzy but I wholeheartedly disagree.  Sometimes the colors used in fair isle patterns can be garish but I find that certain brands know how to execute the design and pattern flawlessly.  I love the particular colors in this rendition by AE and I think the colors are very complementary.  I decided to rock my ASOS skinny jeans and my Blowfish "Catgirl" booties for the occasion.  I'm also particularly proud of my new leather bag by 7 Chi that I copped on Amazon Warehouse for $65! (Original retail price was close to $200).  Other accessories in this outfit include my pink fluro watch and duster earrings from ASOS.

Tunic/Dress: American Eagle

Jeans: ASOS Curve

Booties: Blowfish "Catgirl" via ASOS

Bag: 7 Chi via Amazon Warehouse

Watch: ASOS

Earrings: Asos

Cool earrings huh? Check out the cute shoulder button detailing on the tunic!

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Stay tuned for a video post on how to score AMAZING deals on Amazon Warehouse! As stated above, this luscious leather bag was 65 bucks!

Monif C Emme Ponte Dress Review

Hi!

Sorry it's been so long since my last post! I hope everyone had a great holiday with loved ones because I sure did! I wanted to share with you my review of Monif C's Emme Ponte Dress.  This dress has been making the blogger rounds lately and I wanted to share with you my perspective.  Let me start off by saying that I love Monif C's designs, for the most part, they are cutting edge and very flattering.  However, I know I am not the only one who feels as though her price points are a bit too high. I decided to take advantage of the flash sale sale she had a few weeks ago and when the moment of truth came, I was literally staring at the "submit order" button for like ten minutes (hey, it's alot of money!).  I opted for the 1x even though I think the 2x would've fit better. I am trying to lose some weight so I figured that I'd rather have a dress that was too small than one that was too big.   

Here is what the dress looks like on a model.  I purchased the one on the left.

I apologize in advance for the poor quality of the pics, my hubby was using his camera phone.  I also apologize for my general appearance.  I quickly styled the dress so I had no time to hook up my hair, make up like I would've wanted. Also, I feel like I should've put on some more serious shapewear underneath (I'm wearing my Sweet Nothings tummy controlling bike shorts) because I'm looking a bit bubbalicious.

The fabric of the dress was very thick which I liked.  I didn't think it needed a back zipper because I ended up just pulling the dress up over my head. The material has some give and feels really comfortable on. So the ultimate verdict? I ended up returning the dress.  I wasn't crazy about it and I felt that I would need big hair to pull it off.  I do still visit it on the website from time to time though...*sigh*



What do you all think of the dress? Do you think it is worth $208?

Ode to the turtleneck and a contest!

CONGRATULATIONS to "Jocelyn" for entering my contest and winning the INC Turtleneck!! Enjoy!

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It took everything in me just to get out of bed this morning. Being on maternity leave has me turning into a lazy slob. I dropped something on the floor today, looked at it for like 10 seconds and made the executive decision not to pick it up. Getting bendy is work!

Anywayz, I was thinking about the topic for this blog post and it hit me--turtlenecks! I had been on the hunt for the perfect turtleneck and recently found it at H&M. I named her Betsy. Turtlenecks are so great for a multitude of reasons: they keep your neck warm, they look great on almost anyone, and they are a great layering piece. The one I have from H&M is super stretchy, is a true black (no fading in the wash or in the sun), and is extremely flattering. It was a steal at $12.95 and I wish I had purchased one in a neutral color as well. I only wish the "neck" part of the turtleneck was a bit longer.

Here are a few of my stylings with this venerable wardrobe staple. I apologize in advance for the less-than-clear photos. My Dad took his camera back (best believe I violently shook my fist at him when he did) and I had to use my webcam to take these pics.

Skirt: Talbots (no longer sold online)

Belt: Eloquii

Turtleneck: H&M

Shoes: Target

Necklace: Free People (for $10!)
Leopard clutch: ASOS
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Pant: Old Navy (recently purchased so excuse the tag ;-) )

Earrings: Ashley Stewart

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Pant: ASOS

Necklace: ASOS

Bag: Pieces "Hoffy" bag via ASOS

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Skirt: ASOS

Shoes: Corso Como

Clutch: Aldos

Earrings: H&M

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Pant: Rainbows

Fringe Earrings: ASOS (don't these earrings rock? I always keep my wardrobe very muted when I'm wearing a large statement earring such as this)

So now the moment you've been waiting for! I am giving away a brand new INC turtleneck! It is grey, super soft and ribbed and is a size 1x. See below for pics! All you have to do is:  1) follow my blog via Bloglovin or Google and 2) comment below with your email addy! I will use a random number generator to select the winner.  Act fast, the contest will end Thursday November 17th at 8pm EST with the winner being announced the next day! Thanks for reading and good luck to all! <3

Interested in shopping my wardrobe? Please click here to see my offerings!