Cover Up in Style - Runway to Pool

In land locked Hot-lanta (sorry Bert Show – the locals will know what I mean), neighborhood pools are the only sanctum from our drought ridden summers.  Girls in the south are known for their style and I admit, the pool has been a weak spot for me.

If you’re like me, it takes me about 45 minutes to even get to the nearest pool and it happens to be about 10 houses down the street from me in our neighborhood.  My husband is usually soaking up the rays, empty handed and un-sunscreened, WAY before I can get out the door.

I end up arriving in sunscreen streaked black shorts and a tank top I’ve slept in the night before.  No more, I say!  This year I’m arriving in style with my favorite picks for fun swimsuit cover ups.

By the way, I’m also over the terry cloth look.  Everyone rushed to Target a couple of years ago to pick up the mock Juicy cover ups.  My version ended up fading and pilling up, not the runway to pool look I was going for.

I’m venturing out into a couple of fun styles this year, caftans and crochet!

Here are some picks for runway to pool style, I think you will love:

Crochet Swimsuit Cover Ups:

Victoria's Secret Crochet Swim Cover Up

JCPenney Crochet Swim Cover Up

Tibi Swim Cover Up

Caftan Swimsuit Cover Ups:

Old Navy Swim Cover Up

Athleta Caftan Swim Cover Up

Anthropologie Caftan Swim Cover Up

Maxi-mize Skirts this Summer

I’ve become OB-sessed with maxi skirts after missing out on a Gilt sale on a gorgeous Missoni that will be mine someday!

Maxi skirts are the perfect boho chic item for summer, pair them with flats or thong sandals for a fun casual night out at a rooftop restaurant this summer.

They also help us pale leg girls compete with the bronzed beauties in the super short minis by helping us cover our Casper (yes, as in the friendly ghost) like legs in a fun and trendy manner. 

Here are my picks for best maxi.  These are super cute with a peasant blouse, tank top or my personal favorite – a strapless top for a  casual night out.  They can be dressed up or down for day to evening which is imperative for my multi tasking wardrobe.

Twisted Tube Top (also perfect with jeans or cargos)

I’m on a mission to make this first skirt my wardrobe staple this summer.  It says casual and California to me and is neutral but with a punch of turquoise for summer.

This would be perfect with the tube top above or a white halter:

Love Tanjane maxi skirt in Island at Bohemian Rockstar

Perfect with a black or gray tank:

Coral Cynthia Vincent maxi at Piper Lime

For work or play in very comfy jersey material:

Convertible maxi by Target in charcoal

As Rachel Zoe so often blogs, here is a parallel universe (but the opposite of Rachel's way), this means for princess budgets and I’m so glad JCrew is throwing in free shipping on this one (whew!):

Sequin maxi by JCrew

Going to Extremes

After surviving the legging, jeggings trend from this winter, basically unscathed (we choose to categorize the once over “put some pants on sweetie” gazes from certain senior females riding our building elevator as just a generational misunderstanding – we’ve seen Mad Men we get it), we are on to bigger and better pants dilemmas for Spring. 

Is it just me or are we in an all out war on traditional pants. . .  It used to be so easy to throw on a cute pair of low rise designer jeans and hit the road without having to worry about. . .

Should I wear skinny jeans with a long flared top and ballet flats?

OR Should I wear jean leggings with a top long enough to cover the faux pockets and pair with booties?

OR Should I wear straight leg jeans that are just straight enough to wear with wedges but could be okay if you HAD to stuff them into boots?

AND now for the latest:

Wide leg bell bottom jeans. . .

Why do we have to go to extremes?  And can one woman wear both styles? 

Are you a skinny jean girl or a wide leg bell bottom woman?

Is there an age limit?  I know twenty somethings in mu office who pull of the skinny jeans and ballet flats every day, but is this really okay for a 30 or 40 something?

It’s exhausting and in the words of Avril Lavigne, “Why’d you have to go and make things so complicated?”

If you are going to attempt both trends this Spring, God love ya!!

AND here are my picks:

Wide Leg:

J Brand - Kiki in Lotus

Discount wide leg:

The Gap - Wide Leg Trouser

Skinny:

7 for All Mankind - Roxanne



Discount Skinny:

Old Navy - The Diva

Nate the Great Conclusion

All good things must come to an end! 

Here's my conclusion to Nate's design picks for 2011 from my three part series :)

Item #4:       Lighting from the Mid Century

Concern:  What is mid century?  Is this 1950s?  He showed what looked like a garage sale basement black lamp. 

Love:  Katt Table Lamp by Bungalow Classic in Atlanta, feels retro funky yet not moldy

Click here to view Katt Table lamp from Bungalow Classic.

Item #5:  Rust/Orange – Home Accents

Concern:  I wanted to adjust my TV set, rust???  Nothing good ever comes from rust.  This supposedly a hot new color on the runways this Spring, god help us.

Love:  Here’s the best I could do and I’m leaning toward coral on this one.

Festival Rug by Anthropologie – Orange without the crush. . .

Click here to view Festival rug by Anthropologie.

Nate the Great 2011 Picks - continued. . .

Here is Item #2 and #3 from Nate the Great's list:


Nate's Pick #2:  Modern art paired with antiques or old photography
Concern:  Expense meets Concrete, cold edges and Andy Warhol

Love:  The Print Shop from UrbanOutfitters.  Prints start at just $25.00  Society6 is an International artist community representing more than 70 countries worldwide. We will continuously comb through their enormous archives to bring you this curated collection of our favorites. Any items ordered from the PRINT SHOP will be processed and shipped by Society6.  Check out this funky city scape by Teodoru Badiu.  Wouldn't this be perfect next to grandma's antique side table?

Click here to go to Urban Outfitters Society 6.

Nate's Pick #3 - Storage art 

Concern:  Clutter fest disguised as design or as Nate says “Living really beautifully with what you own”....

Love:  Beachcomber baskets from Pottery Barn.  Beachy yet still cozy enough for a winter day by the fire

Click here for Pottery Barn Beachcomber baskets.

Stay tuned for my wrap up - Items #4 and #5 coming soon!

Nate the Great - Design Picks for 2011

Nate Berkus Show with Michelle Adams – Picks for Best Design Accessories of 2011

Nate launched his new show this past fall much to my extreme delight!  Despite my disappointment for him that it was not picked up by one of the major networks as Oprah’s other less appealing progeny had been, I remain optimistic that he can pull off a successful series (okay on his looks alone, he will!)  He just makes me happy with his swoosh of a McDreamy hairdo, JCrew meets UrbanOutfitters style and his absolutely drop dead gorgeous dimples.  He smiles, I smile.

I digress, his latest show has inspired me to look for my very own BEST of 2011.  I’m only one month behind on my New Years Resolution, so I say better late than never. 

I vow to implement these 5 Must Have Design Accessories of 2011 despite some of my cynicism below!  If Nate okays it, I’m in.  I'm going to post one a day for the next 5 days so as to not overwhelm you!

# 1 - Mirrored Accessories

Concern:  Disco ball in the living room, channeling Donna Summer anyone?

Love:  Jules Accent Table by Crate and Barrel.  Classic and grown up with a little taste of 70s gold.

Jules Accent Table

Stay tuned for my next pick tomorrow!

Get Your Groove on the 70s are Back!

The Peasant Blouse – a Must Have for Spring!

The 70s are back and as a child of this era, I’m a ready to get the skinny on this fab new trend!

To start with, peasant blouses.  I have experience with a brief foray into this trend in the late 90s with what we called “the poet blouse”.  The only problem with the poet blouse is it had to be white and that one Jerry Seinfeld incident put a bad taste in my mouth on the trend and it seemed to die off shortly after.  I believe it was called the “puffy blouse” episode.

The peasant blouse is more fun because it can be any color and channels a sweet, feminine spring day style.  You could pair with a flowy skirt or a cute pair of your favorite jeans.  I recommend wearing the style with a snug fitting bottom so you don’t feel too puffy or sloppy. 

It reminds me of two of my favorite shows from the 70s!  The girls from Charlie’s Angels and Three’s Company new exactly how to flaunt this trend.

Here are some present day peasant tops to guarantee to have you rocking this trend in no time!

Real Budget

Susina Blouse - Nordstrom

Free People blouse - Macy's

Big Budget

Daisy Organdy Blouse

Robbi and Nicki Ruched Blouse

Okay and I have to put one more, a girl can dream.

Leifsdottir embroidered chiffon blouse

No Budget - You have to love this price!!!  I love Forever 21.

Textured Dot Top

Ideeli Obsession

My neighbor Jen hooked me in one conversation at a neighbor’s party.  She said, you have to check out Ideeli, trust me you will love it.

I admit, I was a late bloomer for online shopping.  Atlanta is a mecca for live shopping from Lenox and Phipps to the shop around the corner boutique.  I never really felt the need to go outside of my live, in person shopping zone.

Until the last 3 months!  My credit card has been on fire as my husband likes to say.  It has opened up a whole new world of designers, discounts and style options!  This winter, sales were a blur of more deeply discounted cashmere than you could shake a well manicured finger at.  I stocked up on sweaters for me and for my closest relatives, if the size wasn’t quite right. . .They did make the perfect holiday gifts.

What amazes me is the competition of it all.  First off, Ideeli makes you apply for membership by submitting your email.  Then I had to wait a few full 5 minutes to receive the confirmation email that you are in fact "in the exclusive members only club”.  Each day Ideeli sends out an email alerting you of the new sales of the day.  They seem to have anywhere between 8 – 10 new designers each day with 1 to 2 pages of new discounted merchandise.  Here is the clincher, the sale only lasts for 40 hours!  AND they can be extremely, gut wrenchingly painful for newbies.  You want that Furla bag, so do 10 other people and they may only have 2 left in stock.  The sales start every day at 12 pm (Eastern), HOWEVER (and this is a big however), if you have Front Row Status, you can snatch up those items before all of the other girls at 11 a.m.  It’s the equivalent of pushing and shoving at Filene’s Basement during the running of the brides.  You know who found out some of these rules a little bit too late as I watched one cashmere sweater and one Michael Kors bag and one Tom Ford pair of sunglasses and one pair of 7 Jeans lifted out from under my little mouse click far too many times. 

My most painful experience happened the day of the cashmere duster sale.  Cashmere is one of my favorite items in the world and this Ideeli fixation has only added to the craze.  I have gotten some steals on cashmere but never like this.  They had cashmere dusters in all of the colors of the rainbow for $18.00, yes $18.00 this is not a typo . . . marked down from $220.00. Unfortunately, I got distracted by the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills marathon on Bravo and remembered the sale 3 minutes late.  Yes, just 3 minutes late.  This ended very badly with a race against my opponent’s mouse.   Every item I clicked on read, Sold Out, Sold Out, Sold Out, size after color after size.  I zeroed in on one sweater, a size small beige duster sitting “In Members Cart”.  I attacked the computer with Refresh Screen after Refresh Screen while playing interference with a medium light blue duster still “In Members Cart” open in another browser window. 

Finally, the member must have been distracted as her 17 minute check out window timed out.  And the prize was mine! 

For the price of a Grande Vanilla Latte for the next 26 days, I can be First Row member for only $83.88 a year.  Honey????

H & M Poncho Quest

This week I digress to a warm summer day in late August when I was on the hunt for one of my staples of the season. . .

The H & M ad had been playing repeatedly during all of my DVR’d shows for only about 2 weeks before I decided to make a beeline for my local store.  The ad captured two shots, one girl in a preppy business like trench coat and another in a boho style poncho with skinny jeans and boots.  Of course, I obsessed over the latter much to my mother’s dismay.  Dreaming of myself in the cool crisp Fall weather as the thermometer crept toward 100 degrees outside in late August in Atlanta.  I gathered up strength and headed off to visit my local H & M.  As the heat of the day beamed down on the asphalt of the mall parking lot, I again perked up thinking of how cozy I would look in my new poncho, skinny jeans, and new boots, all to yet to be purchased in accordance with the latest trends of the fashion season. 

I entered through the children’s department admiring the super trendy, super cheap one and done wear.  I boarded the escalator to the second floor.  Keeping my eye on the prize, I brushed past skinny jeans and leggings, fur vests that would knock Rachel Zoe’s socks off, and found the area I was sure would contain my trend find of the season.  I perused the racks with casual abandon to not let on to the fear that was gradually escalating.  A cold chill ran down my spine as I picked up a blue sequined skirt to collect my thoughts.  This can’t be happening again.  After cooling down, I decide to approach the closest sales girl and ask her a question that can only have one good outcome.  She answers with the confidence of a telemarketer reading a script at dinner time on a Tuesday night, “Well, we HAD the poncho.  It like sold out in 24 hours.  AND I don’t know when we are getting any more in.  The truck gets here only MWF.”

My crusade is foiled again by the competitive shopping nature of the Atlanta lady bargain hunters.  In a city of nearly 4 million people, it always amazes me how small the inventory is for our retail stores.   I leave dismayed but not defeated.  I will not stop until I find my poncho.  If this means going store to store or worse dialing store to store, I will do it.  Even if I have to call in favors to relatives in other states, the poncho will be mine.

So it brings me back to present day February where I continue to get bombarded by compliments on this wardrobe staple.  Perfect for work or play, doctor's office visits or trips to the farmer's market, everybody wants this poncho including the check out guy at Trader Joe's.  And you guessed it, I did get my poncho after numerous favors were called in across the country including to business travelers, relatives and friends.  I ended up with three but who is complaining??  They do make the perfect gift.

In my dreams, here is my upgrade:

And this is the perfect little girl version!

Boutique Warehouse Sale Time in Atlanta

The Save the Date has been on my calendar longer than I care to remember or would actually admit.  A sacred date shared only with the closest of girl friends, those who know how to remain tight lipped and keep things of utter importance close to their vest.  And now the dawn of a new day is here, the sale of all sales in Atlanta, the Boutique Warehouse Sale has arrived!

It is no surprise that in the shopping mecca that is Atlanta, that boutiques reign supreme.  However, for a girl from the Midwest who is obsessed with fashion, Rachel Zoe style, with a fraction (okay smaller than a fraction) of a budget, boutique shopping can be intimidating especially in the current economic climate.  Thus the creation of the Boutique Warehouse Sale completes every shopping divas dream breaking up the monotony from our H & M and Forever 21 trips.  

The Boutique Warehouse Sale features all of the movers and shakers in the Atlanta Boutique clique from favorites of the Buckhead Betties to the Real Housewives of Atlanta.  Every fashion trend is featured from dresses, tops, pants, shoes to accessories and handbags, all at a minutia of the full retail cost.  Perhaps the best part of all, the Boutique Warehouse Sale, is all under one roof at one time.  No more exhausting trips from Decatur to Smyrna stuck in gridlock traffic on 285 searching for a last minute outfit for that dressy casual event. 

The stage is set, the doors are open.  Hoards of girls and young women take their marks hoping to find the deal of a century, will it be a cashmere sweater coat at less than cost or those perfect go to pants for work and play?  Competition is fierce and the dressing rooms can be scary for those not willing to undress in front of a throng of shoppers vying for your cast offs.  Have faith, the rewards can be great, especially when your co-workers ask those four simple words “Where did you get that?” A girl never tells, however a true bargain hunter always reveals the “For how much?”  Let the envy begin!  My finds will be posted shortly. . .

Jeggings

Jeggings

The name itself put my husband into fits of hysterical laughter along with anyone else who watched Conan O’Brien model them on his show.

I admit, I was very hesitant at first to try them.  However, after stuffing my favorite straight leg jeans into my knee high boots all last season, I was willing to try anything!  I can still see the zipper getting jammed over the bulkiness as I rushed out the door. 

Let me back track for a second, I initially started the fall/winter season by exploring the skinny jean trend.  My main issue was the cost and versatility. 

Would I be comfortable in my skinny jeans if I wasn’t wearing my knee high boots? 

Could I afford to venture into another trend, i.e. the booty? 

If it was a warm Fall or Spring day would I consider wearing them with flats?

Were they comfortable enough to wear all day without my lower legs cramping up from circulation loss?   

And worse yet:

Did my hips in skinny jeans (no longer balanced nicely by the bells of the wide leg trend) draw unneeded attention bringing to mind words like “hipster” and “child bearing”?

At the end of the day I didn’t feel the cost could justify the trend.  I decided I’m still a boot cut jean girl, and thank goodness I hadn’t conformed as I hear they are making a come-back this Spring!!

So on to Jeggings . . . I discovered these from a Nordstrom catalog that mistakenly got delivered to me instead of my neighbor (there are no coincidences).

I’m happy to say I’m the first of my neighbors and co-workers to venture into this trend and the compliments and conformers have been relentless!  Everyone in my office is jegging around in them!

These have become my go to winter staple for work and play!  

First of all, they are extremely comfortable; it’s like wearing pajamas to work some days. 

They come in so many styles and colors: denim, stone-washed, sweater, boucle, and corduroy "corduregging" just to name a few! 

Third, they look so much like skinny jeans or pants but without the huge price tag (under $50)! 

Plus for all of you nay sayers out there (and I measured), only about 12 – 18 inches of the jegging can actually be seen if you are wearing them correctly. 

Which brings me to my final piece of advice. . .

Jegging 101:

If you have larger calves, buy the jeggings one to two sizes larger than you would normally wear for comfort.  Same goes for you preggo girls, btw, my pregnant friends are loving them!

Always wear them with long tanks or tunics that fall a 6 inches or so from your knees, NEVER,NEVER,NEVER cross this rule or it will be huge embarrassment

Only wear with knee high boots until further notice

And to my co-worker’s dad who told his daughter to “put some pants” on after she sported some at Christmas dinner, GENTLEMAN:  I think you're just jealous! 

Goodbye calf strangulation, hello comfort and savings!  Click here to shop Hue brand jeggings at Nordstrom.

A Real Fashion Emergency

Fashion really can develop into an actual emergency sometimes.

For instance, last night my next door neighbor Jodi decided she needed the perfect pair of boots to go with her little black dress.  She wasn’t headed to an expensive night out on the town but to a dinner with our neighborhood “Mom’s Club”.  And with this group of girls, fashion is key if you know what I mean.

She needed my practical, not too fussy, not too pricey charcoal wedge boots.

Here’s why I like them:

• These are real boots for real girls who need to multi task!
• The wedge style makes them comfortable and casual enough for daytime, BUT, the heel height gives them a little something extra that doesn’t make you feel like you are sloshing through puddles in rain boots. 
• The charcoal color is unexpected and can save you from going out in all black.
• They can be paired perfectly with any evening look from leggings to dresses. 
• They are the perfect evening accessory to dress down a super trendy cocktail dress that assures others you aren’t trying too hard.
• The price!!!  Anytime you can find boots under $100 that are fashionable and can carry you day to night, I say FABULOUS!

The fit was great, they complimented her Judith March dress and she was off.

Being neighbors, we share a lot of things from a cup of sugar to bottles of wine.  When a neighbor is in need, we are there for them. . .so we do happen to have keys to each other’s houses.

I texted Jodi a short message at 10 p.m. letting her know I was headed to bed and that I would get my boots back another time and that she didn’t need to return them that evening.  I set our house alarm like normal, (I know house alarms are for the paranoid but let’s just say we live in area that’s being revitalized) and I was off to sleep. 

Two hours later my husband and I are awakened by the sound of sirens blazing.  Before I can get a word out to warn my unsuspecting husband, he’s on the phone with our local alarm company investigating what “Zones” have been violated.  As the operator and him isolate the violation to our front door, I can hear our call waiting beeping. 

Our shaken, slightly inebriated Mom’s Club diner Jodi is on the other line.   

Case in point, her fashion emergency turned into a real one!  But at least my boots are home safe and sound.

Click here to shop them at DSW:

http://www.dsw.com/shoe/mia+biscuit+suede+wedge+boot?prodId=197559