Jacket: Express (in select stores) | Top: BP | Necklace: Kendra Scott (c/o) | Leggings: Vince Camuto (option) | Heels: Renvy
Friday, October 30, 2015
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Camo in the woods
Sunnies: Ray Ban | Necklaces: Kendra Scott here and here | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff | Sweater: Express | Hand Bracelet: Kendra Scott | Jeans: Express | Booties: Sole Society (limited sizes) (option)
I totally didn't mean to be wearing camo in the woods, it just kind of happened! Jenna and I met up over the weekend to take photos of each other. We met at Laumeier Sculpture Park, and there is a nice wooded trail off the parking lot. That's where we began our shoot for the day, and as I was editing my photos, I had to laugh at myself for being so accidentally literal with my outfit and my setting!
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Chambray for day, chambray for play
I can't even tell you how excited I am for this collaboration! You see, I stumbled upon Shawna's blog a couple of years ago, and she quickly became one of my blog crushes. I love her quirky personality that comes across in her photos, I love her writing style, and most importantly, I love her outfits. When she asked if I wanted to collaborate with her, I felt like a celebrity was reaching out to me! If you are new to her blog, I hope you'll pop on over and check it out here and that you'll find her to be as much of a style inspiration as I do!
The title of today's collab speaks for itself. I couldn't survive without a chambray (or 7) in my closet. It's a holy grail piece, and Shawna came up with the idea of styling it for day and then for play. Let's get started!
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Boston and Providence: What I Wore
I spent the majority of last week up in New England. Tomorrow I'm off for an overnight trip to Toronto, and then Friday I leave for a long weekend of work and leisure in San Antonio. Yeah, the thought of packing terrifies me!! But the good thing is, even when I'm traveling, I still get good content for the blog because (assuming the hotels have great full length mirrors), I can still share what I'm wearing and what I'm doing. Some of you got the real time updates of this if you follow me on Snapchat (carylee07) but it's always nice to formally document stuff here also. This blog makes for a nice diary of sorts!
Monday, October 26, 2015
Hello Monday: Charming Charlie
Sunnies: Ray Ban | Necklace: Charming Charlie (c/o) | Bag: Charming Charlie (c/o) | Top: Charming Charlie (c/o) | Rings: Charming Charlie (c/o) | Bottoms: Express (option) | Heels: Louise et Cie (other colors here)
Disclosure: Charming Charlie gifted me these pieces in promotion of their local store opening. There was no obligation to post, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Charming Charlie recently reached out to me asking if they could send me some pieces to try. I was instantly excited at the opportunity to collaborate with them! The husband works in commercial real estate and knows of Charming Charlie, so it makes it even more rewarding when HE gets excited since it's a brand with which he's also familiar! I've been to a couple of their stores in the past and knew that they carried on trend but affordable products. In my head I equated them to Forever 21, but with an even heavier focus on jewelry and other accessories. I will be honest and say that outside of mentioning my size, I picked nothing out - they simply packed a mystery box full of goodness, and I couldn't have been more pleased or impressed!
Friday, October 23, 2015
Random roundup
Necklace: Stella & Dot | Top: Express (similar in Ultramarine) | Bracelet: CS Gems, Kendra Scott (c/o) | Skirt: JCrew Factory | Heels: Valentino
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Kendra Scott Happy Hour
Happy Thursday!! I am in Providence, RI as we speak, so I thought this was a good time to leave you with a recap from Tuesday's Kendra Scott Happy Hour event! If you've been following my blog for awhile, I'm sure you've noticed that I've just recently started posting more regularly about the brand. The local store opening definitely has a lot to do with that, but you can read all of the details here. The short story is that based on everyone I have interacted with, everything I've read, and all of the pieces I've gotten to wear - it's really just a down-to-earth, grass roots, quality company. Naturally I could not pass up this happy hour event, and I was relieved that my travel schedule didn't interfere with me attending!
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Travel day
Sunnies: Ray Ban | Vest: JCrew (similar) | Necklace: Express | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff (shop other "Regan" style bags HERE) | Top: JCrew Factory | Bracelet: Express | Bottoms: Express (option) | Booties: Dolce Vita
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
The repurposed outfit
Sunnies: Ray Ban | Necklace: Kendra Scott | Jacket: Blank NYC (shop this and other Blank jackets here) | Top: Charming Charlie (c/o) | Ring: Kendra Scott (other colors here) | Bottoms: Express (similar) | Shoes: Vince Camuto (in taupe here, other option here)
Monday, October 19, 2015
Hello Monday: Day of fun
Yay for being back to normal in terms of health and schedule! Although I say this and I somehow have three work trips from now until the end of the month, so perhaps I should just enjoy this while it lasts! Hope everyone had a great weekend! Ours was quite great, actually. I like to call Saturday the husband's and my "day of fun!" (Friends reference here.)
Friday, October 16, 2015
Random roundup
Necklaces: My Name Necklace, Target | Top: Express | Bracelet: Nadri | Bottoms: American Eagle (option) | Heels: Vince Camuto (option)
Necklace: JCrew Factory | Shirtdress: Pulse STL (option) | Tank dress: Express (option) | Belt: Gap | Booties: Vince Camuto (option)
Jacket: JCrew Factory | Necklace: Purple Peridot | Bracelet: JCrew Factory | Dress: The Fashion Lane | Sandals: Coach
Top: LOFT | Necklace: Stella and Dot | Bottoms: Express (option) | Heels: Renvy
So I know I'm supposed to take it easy since I've been battling a cold all weekend, but I've spent all of today (Sunday) just sitting in my chair catching up on blog posts. To me, that's still taking it easy, as I'm not really moving. Right? And you know what, I am ALL DONE FOR THE WEEK! This is the first time I've been able to do this all week. And I actually have time to paint my nails and still have a good night's sleep. Hopefully this is indicative of a productive week!
I appreciate you guys hanging in there with me during an unconventional blogging week for me. I still enjoyed all of the content I prepared for you guys, even though I didn't have any new outfit photos to share. Anyway - have a great weekend! I'm just glad I'm not only feeling better, but feeling caught up!
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Thursday, October 15, 2015
Dry Shampoo reviews: 3 Bloggers
Pssst! (3-pack) | TRESemme | Batiste (floral and flirty) | Batiste (dark & deep brown) | Not Your Mother's "Clean Freak"
Basically dry shampoo has changed my life, and it's one of those things that I wished I would have known about when I was younger. I always heard other people tell me they'd go 3-4 days without washing their hair, and I just assumed I could never be one of those girls because a) my head would physically hurt by days 2 and 3 because of all the oil and b) I get bed head like crazy, and nothing fixed it like a morning wash does. Well, that was before I tried dry shampoo. Now I've realized the error in my ways, and I can't believe how much time I have spent washing and drying my hair day after day all. of. my. life.
Before I go any further into my reviews, there are a couple of key things I want to point out. First, dry shampoo means nothing if I sleep on my hair. I tried the whole sleep bun thing, but it just didn't work for me. I've been more successful simply sleeping with my hair up on the pillow like:
Yes, I also lie pensively staring at the ceiling like the second photo. Ha, not really, but you get the point with these photos. I usually end up falling asleep on my back, so my hair is just flipped up on my pillow. As I roll over in the middle of the night, I'm pretty conscious of still making sure I'm not lying on my hair. Don't ask me how. Somehow sleeping Caryl just knows to adjust her hair as she moves in the middle of the night. It's that serious.
Secondly, this video here is really thorough and gives you examples of how to apply dry shampoo. If you've never used dry shampoo before, or don't know if you're using it correctly, I found the video to be really helpful.
Ok, so now to the good stuff! I thought it would be helpful to poll a couple of my fellow dry shampoo lovers so you can get their perspectives as well. Jenna and Annie agreed to share their favorites, so hopefully you can relate to at least one of our hair types and beauty routines!
My Day 3 Hair
My routine:
Day 1: Shampoo and Condition hair using Pantene products. Blow dry and flat iron.
Day 2: Dry shampoo and either leave it straight or use a curling iron.
Day 3: Curl it if not already curled from day 2. If it's already curled, I will either do it half up/half down, or do a top knot, depending on how gritty I think my hair feels.
Day 4: Top knot if I didn't already have it up from day 3. If it was in a top knot the day before, I'll go ahead and wash it.
There's been one time that I was able to salvage my hair the day after it had been in a top knot, but that's more of an exception than a rule. My top knot usually signifies me giving in to washing it the next day.
My products: (I'm going to list them in order of potency.)
Not Your Mother's "Clean Freak" - This is the first one I ever tried. I would definitely say this is the most mild, and when I say "mild," I mean that it takes A LOT for it to leave any kind of residue. The smell is pleasant, consistent with all of the other Not Your Mother's products. I would use this on freshly washed hair as an oil protectant, or simply to freshen up my sideswept bangs as needed. This would also be good to freshen up your curls like she was showing us in the video above, since it really doesn't leave any residue.
Pssst! - I found this at Walgreens, and decided to try it because I'm always down for new things. This does leave a little bit of a white residue, but I actually like seeing the powdery residue because it makes me feel like it's working and it's not just blowing air at me. Again, the smell is just fine - not too overpowering or annoying. It's perfect for 2nd day hair, especially if I decide to leave it straight.
Batiste (floral and flirty) - I got this in my Ipsy a couple of months ago and I was so excited to try it. I kept hearing it was one of the best, but I also kept hearing that it left the worst residue also. Once I realized that I actually *like* rubbing in the residue, I realized this may actually be a good one for me. I love it for general everyday use - second or third day hair. I do also like the smell of it a lot. I need to purchase a full sized bottle of this.
Batiste (dark & deep brown) - So, this is basically the same thing as the traditional, but for darker hair. There is still residue that comes out of this, but it simply comes out dark brown instead of white. It's a noticeably different color than my hair, so I still have to rub it in like usual. BUT. It leaves noticeable residue on your fingers. I was so confused the first time I used it. I was getting ready to walk out of my bathroom after getting ready and realized it was all brown under my light-colored-polished fingernails. It ended up coming off just fine when I washed my hands, so it's not big deal, but I'm sure it's also leaving specks around my bathroom as well. I'll go ahead keep this bottle as a backup, but it's my least favorite because of the color it leaves behind.
TRESemme - I think this is my favorite, both for the price and for the performance. It definitely does give my hair some volume, so even if I decide to leave my hair straight for day 2, it ends up looking even better than day 1! I would not recommend putting this in freshly washed hair because it does leave it noticeably tacky and gritty feeling - not necessarily in a bad way, but more noticeable than the others. It's great for curls and for up dos, but I save this for 2nd or 3rd day hair and use the Not Your Mother's or the Psssst for day 1. I do also love the smell of this one, I think it's my favorite smell out of all five, with the Batiste floral and flirty coming in a close second.
Dry shampoo has literally changed my life. I am not even exaggerating. I love having long hair, but obviously it takes foreverrrr to dry and style and I simply do not have the time or wherewithal to do that after every shower. Enter: Dry shampoo. Now I only have to wash my hair once or twice a week! Which is such a timesaver. And my hair is soooo much healthier. As far as which products I use, I love the Batiste original formula (the colored ones worked ok for me, but I feel like they really dulled my hair shine). Even though the original formula (green can) goes on white, I just spray it on the underside of my hair and comb it out a bit and then it isn't nearly as noticeable. If I really put way too much on, I just spray a little hairspray on the palms of my hands and rub them gently over the excess and the white disappears. I also really love the Tresemme dry shampoo. I feel like this one doesn't leave nearly as much white residue, but I find that the Tresemme one works best for the first 2-3 days and the Batiste one (which is more heavy duty) is better for the rest of the week. Bonus? They both come in travel sizes. The included photo of me is after two days of not washing my hair and only using dry shampoo. This stuff works miracles, folks.
I am a HUGE fan of dry shampoo. I don't straighten my hair on the regular, but when I do it takes about an hour, so I make.it.last. I have pretty coarse hair, so I don't start using dry shampoo until the evening of day 2 before I go to bed. My absolute favorite is KMS, but Paul Mitchell and Sebastian are definite runners-up. I reviewed all my favs, and least favs today, including the best bargain option that's just $3… (Check out Jenna's post HERE!)
And, while you're reading Jenna's post, be sure to wish her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! She has fabulous hair, fabulous style, can take a shoefie like nobody's business, and she's the first real life, local girlfriend (that isn't family) that I've had in years! The husband has told me how happy I've seemed lately just having someone I can be a girl with! And, she's a big part of why I've branched out to try so many types of dry shampoos, so I basically owe her big time for saving so much time in my life! Happiest of birthdays, Jenna!!
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Lots of information in this post, and I can't wait to read Jenna's post now, too! I feel like dry shampoo is similar to hairspray in that I can never have too much! It's definitely such a huge time saver in the morning, and just overall makes my hair look better and easier to style! I would love to hear what your favorites are!
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Linking up for: What I Wore to Work, Spotlight Weekly Linkup with Elle and Jacqueline, Thursday Fashion Files, Thursday Favorite Things
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Shopbop Friends and Family Sale
Shopbop Friends and Family Sale happening now!
Read all the details about the sale HERE!
Being sick this weekend and not having new blog outfits to share with you just gives me more time to share sale finds with you instead! And I mentioned yesterday that the Shopbop Friends and Family Sale just kicked off Tuesday at midnight. It's been hard narrowing down my list of things I want, but here is everything I've had my eye on in case you need some inspiration! Normally I like to entice you guys with sale stuff once I actually have my purchased items in hand! But, since it's only a 3-day sale, and I can't shop in a brick and mortar store, I'm not going to have my items in hand before the sale ends, so I'll have to share my wants via stock photo collages instead of my usual flat lays or dressing room selfies. I tried to select items that are unique to me so hopefully your blog feed isn't a sea of the same sale stuff!
Shop Free People Tunics HERE
Shop vegan friendly jackets HERE
I really try not to just jump right in to shoes and handbags. I'm not sure why, but clothes are always the last thing I shop for during big sales like this. But, in an effort to provide you with well-rounded choices, I made sure to start my picks from the top down - literally and figuratively. I always tend to crave Free People even more, specifically in the fall. Perhaps I have more of a boho style in the fall? I don't think so? But for whatever reason, I love their stuff even more during this time of year vs. any other season. Maybe it's because literally every piece they make pairs well with booties!
I have a pretty healthy collection of faux leather jackets, yet somehow still not quite enough. Jackets are also a favorite of mine to shop during big sales because I feel like I get more bang for the buck - I can wear it with several outfits vs. just one outfit, which makes the price per wear a better value. That's my logic anyway!
Shop Current/Elliott "Stiletto" jeans HERE and Joe's Flawless Vixen Jeans HERE
The same goes for designer denim. It's a relatively bigger ticket item, but denim is something that is a constant workhorse in my closet, so I don't mind dishing out a few more dollars for it. Waiting for a sale like this to invest in some designer denim makes the price tags a little more palatable anyway! Jenna convinced me during the anniversary sale that Current/Elliott jeans did wonders for my tushy, and you'd know she was right if you saw this post here. I've picked up another pair since then, and have my eye on a couple more. You can also see me sporting a pair of the Joe's Flawless Vixen jeans here.
Shop Cuoio colored bags HERE
Shop Sam Edelman pumps HERE
Admittedly, I'm not even quite sure how to pronounce the word "Cuoio" but I can tell you that it's gorgeous. As I was perusing the site, I noticed that I would instantly start drooling when a bag in this color appeared on my screen. And then I realized they were all named exactly the same color. I am obsessed! Picking a bag is going to be a tough decision!
Shop Splendid booties HERE
And last, but never least are shoes. With fall upon us, pumps and booties are my jam. Shopbop has a ton of options in every price range, but I did turn to my old faithful, Sam Edelman when I started my search for pumps I "needed." And these black peep toe Splendid booties are calling my name! I am swooning over that zipper detail!
Shop flat, printed Clare V clutches HERE
(See full outfit details here)
And, if you're looking to just buy one splurge item and be done with it, I recommend the infamous Clare V clutch. I know, it's a bit blogger cliche, but that doesn't stop everyone from posing with a Starbucks cup, now does it? I resisted the clutch for a long time, but then Jenna pointed out this olive one, and it was hard to say no to it. And for 25% off, I think it should be hard for YOU to say no to it, too!
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Well, I think that's enough for one post! Hope you had fun shopping with me! I'll be sure to share everything I ended up buying in a future post! The best thing about Shopbop is being able to log in with your Amazon Prime account and having free 2-day shipping! That means I will be flat laying my new purchases by the weekend! Woo!
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Berry moto jacket: 4 ways
Today Gina and I are collaborating to each share 4 different ways to wear this berry colored textured knit moto jacket. Yes, reunited and it feels so good! It's great to be working on something with her again, so I hope you guys enjoy this project!
If you remember, I already have this jacket in ivory and in olive. I bought the ivory one late last season after admiring it on Gina and some others who had it. When I finally caved and bought one for myself, I loved it instantly and kicked myself for not getting it sooner. When it was released in olive and now in berry, I didn't hesitate to get the additional colors. I personally size down in this jacket with no intention of ever zipping it. I just like the way it looks worn open, and I don't think it would be as flattering on me worn open if I bought my normal size. Today's focus is on how to style this in berry, so let's get started.
Outfit #1: Snakeskin print cami, metal bib necklace, blush skirt, silver metallic heels
If you read my post yesterday, you saw that I was sick all weekend, but I did manage to take selfies for the purposes of this post! Since I was resorting to selfies verses proper blog photos, I figured I'd provide you with the flat lay also so you can see more details of the pieces I chose for styling. First up is this combo-- snakeskin print cami, metal bib necklace, blush skirt, silver metallic heels.
Necklace: Kendra Scott (c/o) | Jacket: Express | Cami: Express (option here, would also look great with this print here) | Skirt: JCrew Factory | Heels: Kate Spade (option)
I'm not afraid to wear blush in the colder months, so I knew I wanted to style this skirt with the jacket first and foremost. I didn't realize until I pulled the older outfit photo of the ivory version of this jacket above that I also styled that jacket with this same snakeskin print cami. It's just a good backdrop to the jacket, adding interest, but not being too overwhelming of a print.
Possible outfit adjustments:
1. You could switch out the print cami for a black one and add black tights with black booties to make it more cold weather friendly.
2. This skirt also comes in navy, which would pair beautifully with the jacket. You could do the navy skirt with this and switch the snakeskin for a solid blush colored cami, or even just a white one, keeping the shoes and necklace the same.
Outfit #2: Black tee, long tassel necklace, camo pants, black pumps
I didn't include the jacket in this flat lay, but you get the idea. I already showed you that wine and olive pair perfectly together here, so I thought I'd take it one step further and style this with my camo skinnies to mix it up a bit!
Jacket: Express | Top: Express | Necklace: Kendra Scott (gifted) | Bottoms: Gap (option) | Heels: Valentino (budget option here)
I really loved the way this turned out. The moto jacket is a nice alternative to a denim jacket in this instance, as I always tend to reach for my denim jacket when I'm wearing my camo pants. The color contrast keeps it interesting and the pointy toe pumps keep it from being too masculine.
Possible outfit adjustments:
1. Switching into a white tee and some black Chucks would make this outfit weekend ready.
2. Instead of the black tee and wine colored necklace, try a light grey sweater and silver necklace, with wine colored flats or pumps.
3. Don't have camo pants? Try some solid colored olive skinnies instead! Don't have olive skinnies either? Do black pants with an olive colored cami or tee.
Outfit #3: Striped dress, statement necklace, black lace up flats
I did this flat lay for Instagram a few weeks ago, as part of my packing post for NYC. I didn't end up wearing this combo because the weather in NYC kept warming up each day we were there, and this jacket gets warm really quickly. As I was trying on this outfit for this post, I decided to make a couple of adjustments.
Since I already showed you that this jacket pairs well with black pointy toed shoes, I decided to skip the flats and wear leopard pumps with this as well. Wine and leopard go together like peas and carrots after all! The long bauble necklace would have looked great with this also, but I grabbed my gold bib necklace at the last second since the last outfit featured a long necklace.
Possible outfit adjustments:
1. Add a chambray over or under the dress for an extra layer if you need more warmth. If you layer a chambray over the dress, add a belt, too, to define your waist. And then ditch the bare legs for tights and boots - cognac knee high boots or booties would look great.
2. Pointy toe leopard flats would work just as well with this.
3. If you don't have a striped dress, try this with a striped colored top and your fave destroyed skinnies. Or to keep it on the dressy side do a solid colored top (in black, white, wine, grey, navy, olive, baby blue, blush, or even mustard!) with a striped skirt instead.
Outfit #4: Berry colored plaid blouse, navy and ivory striped scarf, black leggings, brandy colored booties
I knew I wanted to layer this with leggings, and a plaid shirt just seemed like the natural pairing. I have a ton (ok, "only" 6) of these oversized plaid shirts from Express, the weight is perfect to layer under the jacket, and the length is perfect to wear with leggings. All my bits are covered, and I'm offering you the side view as proof.
Jacket: Express | Top: Express (other colors here, here, here) | Scarf: JCrew Factory (option, option) | Bottoms: Express (option) | Booties: Dolce Vita (more sizes here)
I went monochromatic here with the top, but that was only because I realized I hadn't done a monochromatic look yet with these 4 outfits. This might be my favorite of all of the combos because I just love my layers and my print mixing. And my new booties. Ha!
Possible outfit adjustments:
1. If you're not into print mixing, just swap the plaid shirt for a solid black long sleeved tee. Or keep your plaid top, but switch the scarf for a solid color that complements one of the colors of your plaid shirt.
2. You could easily just do a chambray, leopard scarf, same leggings, and cognac knee high boots with this jacket as well.
3. Switch to regular black pants and pointy toe pumps (leopard pumps if you're courageous enough to triple print mix!), and give your top a partial tuck for a date night ready look.
And here are all four looks side by side. After I put this collage together, I realized I didn't do a very good job showing you what colors pair really well with berry. I do always tend to reach for it as a good color pop with black and white, but it does play well with more colors than you would think. Here's a quick color collage I put together to prove my point.
Well, this has turned into quite a long post! Hopefully you were able to pull some inspiration from here, and if not, Gina has four more ideas you can chew on, so please be sure to pop over there if you haven't already to see how she plans to style this! And, if berry isn't your color, check out the other three colors in which this jacket is currently available!
Before I go, you should know that Shopbop is having their Friends and Family sale right now! I'll be back tomorrow with some of my sale picks, but wanted to make sure you got a head start on your shopping cart!
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Linking up for: On Trend Tuesday with Sandy and Kileen, Chic Style, Tuesday Talk, Confident Twosday, Erin and Laura for Trend Spin Linkup
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