Confessions of a Fashion Blogger

Gucci sunnies (budget option)

LOFT sequin trim top (old)

Kate Spade bangle (option)

Express skinnies (similar)

Jimmy Choo cork wedges (budget option)

OK, I'm feeling a bit Single White Female here because I had written my 7 Deadly Sins post after seeing Katie's. And then today, I read her Confessions post which has again inspired me to write my own. Sorry for not being original in this category, but I know I don't talk too much about anything other than shopping or my outfits, so these are nice ways to get myself out there a little better for you guys. If you haven't checked out Katie's Style Diary blog already, you definitely should. She's a lot of fun and proves that you don't have to spend a lot of money to look put together. 

So, without further adieu, here are my confessions.

1. It bugs me that my shirt is folded up a bit at the hem in that pic up there ^^

OK, I feel better just getting that off my chest. I scour my pictures for imperfections like that and it bugs me (and my OCD) when I see a hair out of place, or wrinkles in my clothes that I didn't notice looking at myself in the mirror, or if one of my bangles is midway up my forearm when the rest of them are at my wrist... I told you guys in my "how I blog" post that I don't photoshop my pictures, other than enhancing them because of bad lighting or whatnot, which is why I don't just alter those imperfections out of the photos. I usually just crop whatever it is out, or simply discard the picture. I feel like if I'm going to take the time to photo log my outfits, they should be perfect, and that someone is looking at them thinking - really? Why did she use this pic?! I have to remind myself that this is real life. I'm not a model, and I don't have a professional photographer. It really is ok if something is out of place. Even if it kills me to no end! I know I'm my own worst critic.

2. I hate my non-smiling face. 

That's why I smile in all my photos. I envy all you guys that look great with serious faces. I, however, look like I have this mischievous crooked smirk when I'm not smiling. It almost looks like I'm snarling my upper lip. I feel bad sometimes because I am sure my smile gets super annoying to look at - especially my same old stare into the camera and pop my arm pose - but I seriously have the urge to punch myself in the face when I see my non-smiling photos. Just trust me on this. 

3. I've totally fallen asleep while blogging before.

I've woken up with my laptop open, my fingers on the keyboard, and my head completely fallen to the side. I really try to blog most days, if not every day. I typically blog at night after work, so if I know I have plans that night, I'll try and write my post in advance. That doesn't always happen though, so I've written posts pretty late into the night or early in the morning before. Falling asleep blogging just shows you my dedication, folks! 

4. Posing is so awkward.

I have the same handful of poses - totally not creative when it comes to this. But it's all about the outfit, right? I do wish I was a natural in front of the camera or that I had some fancy photographer that put me in the artsy poses with picturesque backgrounds, not gonna lie. I do my best, and just do what I know.

5. I keep blogging on the down low.

Everyone close to me knows I have a blog. And once or twice I leaked my blog to my Facebook friends, but otherwise, it's not something I openly talk about with everyone. Why? Honestly, because I'm not sure everyone understands, relates to, or appreciates my obsession with shopping. And I think it's also because I lack confidence and am afraid of judgement. That makes me sad to type, but I know it's true and that's probably the first time I've actually admitted it.

6. I wish I had more followers.

I do blog for myself - it's very fun, and I love documenting my style, what I've worn, and what I've purchased. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish I had more followers. According to Bloglovin, I have 51 followers, which actually makes me quite excited because the last I checked, I was in the 30s. It makes me SO excited when I get notified of a new follower. To know that a stranger finds you interesting enough to read and follow you is very rewarding and quite the honor. But at the same time, I don't want to be the blogger who pushes myself on other people - commenting on other blogs just to plug myself. For now, I will stick with the link ups. I enjoy the link ups because it's a way to be social and put myself out there while pulling inspiration from others who share a common addiction interest with me.

7. I get my most traffic from Tara at Mix & Match Fashion's "What I Wore to Work" linkup.

I participate regularly in 13 linkups a week. At least one every day, with the exception of Saturdays. For whatever reason, I get my most traffic from the What I Wore to Work linkup. I don't know if it's directly related to how many followers she has, or if I just nail it with the thumbnails I pick for my posts, but it's always my most successful linkup (whether I'm the first to link up or not). I know I put a little extra thought into what I will post that day if I know I will be linking up with her. Do you guys do that in real life? Save your favorite outfits for the day that the most people will see you? 

8. Blogging makes me accidentally shop.

You have no idea how many times I've been looking either for the exact item I'm wearing or something similar, and I come across something super cute that I *have* to have. Like for example, I was trying to find a similar top like the one I'm wearing in this post, and it's taking all my strength not to buy this sequin top.

9. Writing the actual body of the post is not the most time consuming part of blogging.

It's not even taking the photos and narrowing it down to the 4-5 that I like the most. The most time consuming part of blogging is linking back to the items I'm wearing - specifically when my exact item is not available or I can't find it online and I have to find something similar. *That* can take forever. But I like doing it, if at all possible, for anyone that wants to recreate a similar look.

10. Shopping has changed my life.

I say this because I have met some of my best friends just because I like to shop. I am a member of 3 style and beauty/ shopping forums. The first one I joined back in 2007. It got overrun by spammers, so since then, the core group broke off into a private Facebook group and when Facebook got rid of the forum function with private Facebook groups, we ended up moving to Proboards. But anyway, our relationships have evolved from asking for style advice to sending a group gift when one of our members found out she had cancer. I cried when I received a sympathy card from one of my forum friends when we had to put our bassett down - the thought that this person, who I've only met in person once but have "known" for about 6 years because of our common love for shopping, cares enough to send me a card made me feel overwhelmingly grateful. We have had several meet ups across the country - I've met almost all of them in real life, and I truly consider them legit friends. Yeah, it's a bit odd to some to start relationships off the interweb, but it certainly serves as my outlet when I need estrogen time, especially since I'm living away from my friends and family and don't have many local girl friends. I hope to continue to make new friendships now through blogging, and enjoy being able to share myself with all 51 of you! :)

Linking up with Jenny.

READ MORE... "Confessions of a Fashion Blogger"

Death (almost) by maxi skirt

Gucci sunglasses

Forever 21 earrings

Express and The Limited necklaces (worn layered)

Express striped tee

Topshop bracelet worn w/misc bangles

Max and Mia Maxi skirt

Valentino wedges (budget option here and here)

Well, I didn't wait too long to wear this lovely skirt I'd been hunting for. I'm not sure everyone is aware how life threatening a maxi skirt can really be. As beautiful and flowy and easy and wonderful as they are - they're dangerous! This morning I was walking up the stairs at the office. I had my laptop bag on my shoulder (laptop weighs approximately 483345443.54 pounds), my purse in one arm, and a handful of my skirt in my free hand. I carefully walked up every stair, but I don't know if I should have been using both hands, or if the weight of my stuff threw me off balance, but of course, the very last step at the top, my sandal caught the hem of the front of my skirt and I was THISCLOSE to toppling forward. In front of about 10 people nonetheless. (Of course the stairwell was empty up until that point.) It's hard to look fashionable when you're about to fall on your face. They all showed signs of concern, which just made me feel more mortified. And sadly, I did end up ripping the hem a little which was traumatizing, but I should be able to just take a needle and thread to it, and no one will no any different but me. I actually went the whole day with scotch tape on the hem so that it wouldn't fray any more, and no one noticed that so no one should definitely notice a crafty hand sew fix. Despite my near death experience (both from falling and the embarrassment), I still very much love this outfit and this skirt, and it will not stop me from buying and wearing more in the future. I'm a glutton for punishment apparently.

Linking up with Amy and Amber for Friday Five and Christina at Simple Easy Style. 
Please be sure to check out all three of their blogs as they are each giving me a shout out this week! 

READ MORE... "Death (almost) by maxi skirt"

Poshmark and my foolproof outfit

After I went through my recent closet room overhaul, I had a pile of stuff that needed to be listed on Poshmark. If you've never dealt with Poshmark before, it's basically an online consignment shop - an alternative to buying and selling items from your closet on eBay or Craigslist. It is mobile app based, so you can list things very quickly. What's also nice is that Poshmark acts as the middle man for the transaction, so you don't actually have to collect money yourself from the buyer. Once your item sells, you will get an email with a shipping label. Shipping is included in your service fees, and it's kind of nice because when you are typing in your desired listing price, it auto calculates what your net earnings will be.
Ok, so all that out of the way - I received a recent J Crew Factory order today - a pair of  red shorts, a yellow lace dress, and a mint/gold bracelet. The bracelet was amazing, so yay! The shorts were a size 4 and were way too small so they are going back. (I'm normally a 2/4 there.) The dress I ordered was a size 6 and final sale, but I took a chance on it because this dress is a 4, and almost borderline uncomfy, so I thought a size 6 in a similar cut would be fine. Nope. I was *swimming* in the 6. And of course it was final sale. Poop. Yes, I could get it tailored, but considering I have two pairs of jeans waiting to be hemmed for, oh, about two years now, I figured I'm not motivated enough to get the dress altered. I decided right that second to undress my dress form and list the yellow dress on Poshmark. After I had that dress listed, I was on a listing kick. Literally for about 2 hours! So! Because of all that effort, I'm shamelessly self-promoting my Poshmark closet here. Click on the button at the top of this post or anytime in the right hand column of my blog, or just click on this right here. Hope you find stuff you like! I will try and be better at listing things regularly. I know there's a ton of clothes that really need to get listed.
Hokay! Now for my outfit.

We woke up to a thunderstorm this morning. Poor little beagle was scared - I'm surprised she even decided to go out and tinkle! On top of that, I accidentally turned off the alarm and fell back to sleep, waking up about 45 minutes later than planned. I didn't have my outfit picked out and ended up going through a stack of clothes before finally just deciding upon this, which apparently is a foolproof outfit. When all else failed, I turned to leather side panel leggings and a portofino shirt. And my bun. And hot pink heels. And Kate Spade. 

I thought for sure I'd get referee or prison comments because of the striped shirt, but alas, none. Perhaps I was too prepared for them with witty comebacks. 

I really apologize for my Kate Spade addiction. I can only imagine how tired you guys get of me name dropping her stuff. But her designs are just so colorful and playful and happy. At least, that's how they make me feel! Here are 3 of the 5 KS culprits today - ring, bracelet, purse.

And these would make numero quatro. The infamous "Randi Too" rainboots that give me so much joy. One of the biggest things I hate is have wetting feet in open toed shoes because of rain or wet ground. I knew rainboots were in order today, and that's half the reason why these leggings were also a necessity. I was running too late to worry about shaving or lotioning my legs for a dress/skirt, and leggings obviously tuck nice and neat into the boots.

I've been trying to limit my bun to once a week, because again, I feel like people get tired of seeing it (even though I love it to death.) But I didn't really have a choice today because of my time constraints. And of course it was one of those days where it would not cooperate with me. It took a couple of attempts, and I still wasn't satisfied with it, but just chose to throw in the towel and step away from the hairspray. Looking back at these photos though, it looks pretty good! So perhaps I was just being a harsh critic this morning in my haste getting ready.

But wait. I said 5 Kate Spade pieces and I've only highlighted 4. Yeah, I forgot about my phone case.

Via Instagram

Ok then. I didn't mean to turn this into a Kate Spade tribute post, but apparently that's what constitutes my foolproof outfit. I promise I am in no way affiliated with Kate Spade or its subsidiaries! I am simply a die hard annoying addict. 

Express earrings (option) and top

The Limited necklace

Kate Spade ring (option), "Arm Candy" bangle, 

"Beverly Terrace Shyla" bag, "Randi Too" rainboots, 

and "Mexican Floral" iPhone case

D&G peep toe slingbacks (option)

Linking up with Bethany, Meghan, and Tara.

READ MORE... "Poshmark and my foolproof outfit"

Shoesday Remix: Wear it now, wear it later

See details of winter outfit here

I featured these shoes in one of my first Shoesday posts. When I reached for them this morning, I realized I hadn't worn them since the seasons changed from cold to warm. I almost second guessed whether or not they were too wintery feeling - both because of the color and the suede. However, when I added the wine colored jewelry, the shoes balanced everything out just right. This proves that everything is better with a little wine.

NY&Company necklace (option, option) and 

earrings (option, option)

Banana Republic dress (option) 

Cara (similar) and Forever 21 bracelets (option, option)

Gucci Sunglasses

Michael by Michael Kors Elena pumps

I will admit that blogging has challenged me to try and be more creative with my outfits and how I pair things. I know it has changed the way I look at my clothes and the way I dress. Or maybe I shouldn't say "changed," I should say "adjusted." I don't feel like I am losing who I am by any means - like I said, documenting my outfits with this blog pushes my creativity and encourages me to take more risks. My mind is always thinking about ways to layer things or add pieces to make the outfit more interesting. And as a result, I know my dresses are getting neglected - at least now that it's too hot to layer a sweater or blazer over them. I am trying a new sunless tanner (story for another post), so I knew I was going to be in a dress today. I forgot how much I loved this print, but I couldn't just let it be. I tried changing out the belt with another. I tried layering long necklaces with it. I finally just told myself that it's ok to just let the dress be the dress. So here it is and I hope you like it!

Linking up with Lindsey and Shanna.

READ MORE... "Shoesday Remix: Wear it now, wear it later"

Yep. More mint.

Francesca's necklace and earrings (similar)

Old Navy chambray (similar)

American Eagle skinnies

Rebecca Minkoff "Bettina" sandals (limited sizes also here)

When it rains, it pours, and I'm on a crazy kind of mint kick right now, so I apologize for showing up all mintified again! But I just bought these new sandals and I truly couldn't resist wearing them today. I'm so so happy I got them. I've been wanting a pair of flat sandals that had a touch of turquoise/mint to them (for seriously about 2 years now), and these are perfect. I love the nude and mint combo in these shoes. Gosh. The chambray came as an afterthought to this outfit, as I was scrambling trying to pull this all together, but I've come to find out, that you basically cannot go wrong with a chambray.

Linking up with Tori, Erin, and Laura.
Also, thanks to Ada for featuring a couple of my outfits in her "Week's Best Dressed" recap!

READ MORE... "Yep. More mint."

Weekend purchases

1- Mint earrings

2 - Metallic floral necklace

3 - Mint teardrop necklace

4 - Blush/embellished bow belt

5 - Red patent bow belt

6 - Floral shorts (Green pansies)

7 - Orange pattern shorts (orange floral)

As you can see, I like to shop in pairs. Two mint pieces of jewelry, two bow belts, two pairs of print shorts. And a random metallic necklace that I saw by the register and grabbed as an impulse purchase :) When I shopped this weekend, I purposely tried to shop for things I don't normally do which are accessories and... shorts. As much as I love both Francesca's and Nordstrom, I hardly ever shop the accessories or jewelry at either store. It was nice to scour these areas for the first time. Pretty pleased with my finds. And also, I hadn't been to the Limited in forever. These shorts are amazing! I am loving the fun prints, and the cut/fabric is crisp and clean! 

Hope everyone had a great weekend. It was a hot and steamy one over here broken up by thunderstorms. Ugh. Why can't it just rain like normal? It's always so dramatic. Anyway, boo for Monday, but let's all have a fantastic week, shall we?

READ MORE... "Weekend purchases"

The hunt for a red maxi skirt

Clockwise from top left: Denim jacket, Print top, Vest and white tank, black tee

Maxi skirt options: 1- Calvin Klein, 2- Bobeau, 3- Max & Mia

I never realized how much I *needed* a red maxi skirt before. I was going through Pinterest for general fashion inspiration, and these red maxi skirt looks started to catch my eye. I honestly never craved a red maxi at all. It seemed like it would be such a stand out piece, potentially difficult to style. But these sample looks make it seem so easy, and you know how much I love being effortless. The red adds a pop of fun just like your red skinnies do, but the shape and flow of a red maxi give it just a touch of glam. So, I started my hunt. I ended up ordering 3 skirts - 2 of them went back, and 1 is hanging in the closet room. Here's my review of what I liked and what I didn't like, which will hopefully give you an idea of what to look for on your own hunt. The perfect red maxi is harder to find than you would think.

My criteria: 

a. Foldover waistband - so I can adjust the length depending on my heel height that day

b. Full, flowy skirt

c. A thicker jersey or similar fabric to prevent VPLs

d. No slits or anything asymmetrical - just a traditional skirt hem

e. Price limit around $60

1- Calvin Klein: I was coming up with absolutely nothing on my search. Everything I was finding seemed to have slits or some kind of funky hem. This CK one was the most basic of basics, and since I was otherwise empty handed, I went ahead and ordered it just to give it a try. I'm a firm believer in trying things on since they could look completely different on you than on the model or on the hanger. Well, it was pretty awful. It looked as lifeless on me as it did on the model. There was no fullness to the skirt at all, and it was super snug around my hips and butt-- the VPLs were ridiculous and I looked like a sausage. Sizing up would not have helped, overall the shape was just bad. It went back.

2- Bobeau: I had enlisted help from some friends who ended up finding this option. The only criteria it didn't meet was the slit - the description said it had a side slit, but I zoomed all around the photo and could not see one. It was otherwise exactly what I was looking for based on the stock photo, but when it arrived and I was able to try it on, I discovered the negatives outweighed the positives. The cut and flare was amazing - I loved the movement when I walked. The skirt was nice and full so there was enough fabric that the slit really wasn't that noticeable. The material was super soft and the waistband was comfortable, but again, I could still see my panty lines and it bothered me. As a side note, all I wear are the low rise Hanky Pankys. (My love for Hanky Pankys is enough to fill a post for another day.) Yes, I realize lace doesn't lend itself sometimes to being the most seamless, but typically I can at least wear a slip, and that's enough of a buffer to smooth out any lines. I tried this skirt on with a slip, but it was still super noticeable. I even tried it on commando (with the slip still on as a buffer) but I still felt like it was not at all flattering. Ladies, can I just tell you - if you're wearing jersey, turn around and look at your butt in the mirror. Even if you have zero VPLs, dimpling and jiggling is not at all attractive no matter how skinny you are. (Again, that is a thought for a separate post.) So anyway, long story short - this ended up being a big fat no.

3- Max & Mia: I had been searching the Nordstrom website and happened to come across this skirt but in black. I LOVED this black skirt. It was absolutely perfect, and I saw it came in red, too! But I had already ordered the Bobeau one, and they were out of my size in red online anyway, so I just let it go. Well, once I realized the Bobeau one did not work, I immediately called my Nordstrom SA to see if she could locate the red one at another store. Ironically enough, not only did she find it, but she found it at local St. Louis store-- the Nordstrom closest to my office. All that searching, and it was right there all along. Of course. It arrived, and it was just as wonderful as the black version. It's actually two layers - a jersey under layer topped with chiffon. I do think the chiffon dresses it up a bit, but I think it can easily be dressed down, too, based on what you pair with it. My only minor complaint is that I wish it were a more saturated red color - there's a touch of orange to it, which definitely is not a deal breaker by any means, but I do like the more pronounced reds in the sample outfits above. Overall though, it's exactly right.

Here's a little teaser pic of the skirt along with a new tank and denim vest I was also trying on that had shown up the same day. Yes, a denim vest. Because it's 1993. (I guess that's a topic for its own post also!) Denim denim denim.

Two by Vince Camuto denim vest

Express striped cami

Max & Mia red maxi skirt

READ MORE... "The hunt for a red maxi skirt"

7 Deadly Sins of Fashion

Katie over at the Style Diary wrote this post after seeing this video by Julie G on YouTube. I thought this would be a fun bandwagon to jump on, and it gives me a chance to tell you guys a little more about me (that you couldn't already figure out.)

1. Gluttony: What do you own in excess of extravagance in your closet?
Um, definitely shoes. 

Now that I have my shoes in cabinets, I definitely think twice about buying a new pair because the real estate is valuable! Right now I'm practicing the rule of getting rid of a pair if I decide to buy a new pair. It's been about a month since these shelves were put in place, and I just ordered my first new pair last night. We shall see how that concept goes...

2. Greed: What type of clothing do you always have a desire to buy?
I always turn to shoes and dresses. I totally agree with Julie's statement in her video that shoes are great because they always fit even if you gain or lose weight. And dresses are just so easy. They're really more effortless than people give them credit for!

3. Sloth: When you are getting ready to go somewhere but feeling too lazy to find something to wear, what is your go-to outfit?
In the winter, it would be something like this - tunic/dress with leggings/tights and knee high boots:

In the summer, it's definitely one of my 284398975 striped dresses from Express that I own plus flat or low heeled sandals.

4. Wrath: What makes you angry when shopping?
My absolute biggest shopping pet peeve is bad customer service. I hate it when I walk into a store and *know* that a sales associate has seen me, we may even make eye contact, but they don't physically acknowledge me. They either look away or act as if I'm not even there, but then proceed to greet every other person that walks in after me. Even if I love the store and I'm on a mission to buy something, I will walk right out of the store if that happens. It's customer service 101 in my opinion.

5. Envy: Which celebrity's fashion sense or style do you most envy?
Kind of random, but I'm pretty sure I have a girl crush on Mila Kunis. She looks great in everything she wears, and she has the best hair.

Source

Source

If we are talking about bloggers, my favorite "everyday" blogger is Jenny from Crazy Style Love. I swear I've bought so many things after seeing them on her. She's so fun!

See pin here

And if we are talking money-is-no-object blogger, it would be Wendy from Wendy's Lookbook. I would take her wardrobe and photographer in a heartbeat! 

See pin here

6. Lust: Which store's outside appearance do you find most physically attractive, drawing you in?
Kate Spade. This picture says it all. How could this *not* draw me in?!

7. Pride: Out of all the outfits you have put together, which are you most proud of?

I see this skirt all over the blogosphere, and I'm proud to say that the idea of wine colored tights and booties was all my own. I pull pinspiration for a lot of outfits, but this was all me.

From Studious

This isn't super creative, but I just love all the mix of textures! It was so fun to wear, and I love that this boyfriend chambray has been girlified.

From Soft Studs

This is super recent, but it truly is one of my favorites, partly because it is so effortless, but it made me feel really pretty wearing it.

From Mint and Chevron

And, those were my answers, folks! Hope you enjoyed reading that as much as I enjoyed putting this together!! If you decide to do one of your own, please share!

Linking up with Christina, Amy, and Amber.

READ MORE... "7 Deadly Sins of Fashion"

Shirts over dresses and rose gold

JCrew Factory chambray

Jessica Simpson dress (same dress diff color here and here)

Kate Spade "Brooklyn" watch

Express hinged bracelet in rose gold

Sam Edelman "Josie" wedges (also here)

Can you guys tell I'm digging the whole shirt-over-a-dress look? I don't know what it is! I just like the layered look apparently, and it makes your dresses even more purposeful. In the winter it's easy to layer jackets, scarves, tights, boots with dresses. In the summer, your options for breaking up the monotony are limited. It's way too hot for an actual jacket, but a lightweight shirt works perfect. Love.

And can we discuss rose gold for a moment? Growing up, I was always a silver kind of girl. It wasn't until the last few years that I've even introduced gold jewelry into my collection, but rose gold is different. I fell in love with it instantly. Some may think it's tacky, I just feel like it is very feminine and fun. When I originally bought these wedges, I loved loved loved that it had rose gold hardware. It makes for the perfect nude sandal against my skin. And with this orange print dress - it's exactly right. Sometimes your shoes just need to disappear, and that's ok!

Linking up with Victoria, Erin, Bethany and Meghan.

READ MORE... "Shirts over dresses and rose gold"