An afternoon with a few of the Phillips Place Boutiques

I love living in Southpark.  There are so many wonderful places to shop and I walked through a few of the boutiques at Phillips Place.


My first stop was Nitsa's.  The small boutique on the corner of the Penthouse's at Phillips Place is mainly known for their bridal gowns (you have to have an appointment to try on), which I did peak through, they have absolutely gorgeous gowns, Reem Acra and Monique Lhuillier clearly jumped out at me.  The yards of gorgeous ivory satin is enough to make anyone smile.  While I looked through the other racks of cocktail dresses by Carmen Marc Valvo, Tadashi, Nicole Miller, I had the opportunity to meet Haley, one of the sales associates there.  She was very friendly and promised to send me trunk show updates etc., so that I could share them with you.  They also had several gowns by such designers as Marc Bower Glammit and Theia.  For those of you not so familiar with Theia, they make gowns that have been worn by such celebs as Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift.  You can check them out on the web at www.nitsas.com and you can also "Like" them on Facebook.


Walking into Coplon's is always a treat.  They are an old Charlotte institution.  My Mom even bought her wedding dress from Coplon's almost 37 years ago.  It had so many buttons down the back that the sales associate came to my Grandparent's house and helped her button them all.  They have moved their shop to different parts of the city and are now located on the corner of Phillips Place closest to The Palm Restaurant.  Carol, whose desk is at the front of the boutique near the shoes, is so friendly when you come in.  The thing that I like about Coplon's is that they have all kinds of things in the store, with all different price points.  A quick designer roll call, Elizabeth and James, Diane von Furstenburg, Theory, See by Chloe, Haute Hippie.  They have shoes!  Lots of shoes that we love, Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and even those yummy Lanvin flats.  Moving on they have Celine (!), Miu Miu, Chloe, Yigal Azrouel, Thakoon, Helmut Lang, Narciso Rodriguez, Lela Rose, Oscar de la Renta and Stella McCartney.  Definitely peak through there when you can.  It is a fun fashion trip and you get to see a smidge of what the major designers have to offer.


Luna is a kick.  They have a little bit of everything in there.  The denim section is great with offerings from Citizens of Humanity, JBrand, Hudson, Joe's...  They also have the old standbys when it comes to knits, Ella Moss, Splendid, Velvet and that old fave Susanna Monaco.  If you loved Susanna Monaco's tube tops of yesteryear, Luna's has a couple of dresses that will send you right back.  Their jewelry is also cute and inexpensive.  I saw several cuffs that I was fond of.  You can find just about anything when you go to Luna.


Now, when I am at Phillips Place, the one store that I can just absolutely not resist going into may surprise you, it is Magic Windows!!  I absolutely adore anything that is smocked, checked, seersuckered and colorful.  I have two nephews and they are fun to shop for.  The little Royal Child smocked bubble outfits for Christian.  The Vineyard Vines shirts for Hunter, but the one thing I wish for every time I go into Magic Window's is a niece (Ashley, are you reading?)...They have about 50% more clothes for girls in there than for boys (rightfully so, I may add) and they are so adorable.  I am sure if you have children, you have popped in, but if not, definitely plan a trip.  They also carry Feltman Brothers, Kissy Kissy, Little Giraffe, etc.  It is also a great place to pick up a baby gift for any of your expecting friends.


I had fun walking through Phillips Place and the boutiques there.  Charlotte has lots of fashion options and these are just a few.  I hope to continue making the rounds and bringing you the highlights.  On a final note, a trip to Phillips Place should always end with a Red Velvet Cupcake from Dean and Deluca....and mine did!

Fun Friday with the Clairsonic

A couple weeks ago, my friend Katie sent me a text.

"Have you tried the Clairsonic?"

I had tried it once, I had a facial and the Esthetician used the Clairsonic to give my skin a deep clean.  I remembered thinking that it was a neat product but I hadn't really thought much more about it.  Katie ended up finding a great deal on one of the Clairsonic Mia's and when we planned to hang out on Friday, I said, bring it, we'll have wine and cleanse!!

On their website, Clairsonic states that their product "removes 6x more makeup and a2x more oil than cleaning with your hands alone" (www.clairsonic.com)  The website also says that it is gentle enough to use twice a day.  Katie has been using her's twice a day and is absolutely in love with it.  She was kind enough to let me snap some pics of her while she cleansed.

Katie used Cetaphil cleanser with it.  You can use whichever cleanser you prefer.  I had to get my hands on it of course and I tried it out next.

I have been using this shu uemura cleansing oil and am not ready to part with it.  Shu uemura cleansing oils have a way of protecting the skins balance and they remove makeup and cleanse in one step so they make it very easy to cleanse at night.  I started with that and then moved onto using the Clairsonic.

You can definitely feel it working and it doesn't feel abrasive at all.  One thing I have heard is that people are scared that it will be too rough on their skin and it doesn't feel that way at all.  I could tell a difference in my skin after I used after just one time.  My skin felt cleaner and more refreshed.  I agreed with Katie, I loved it and will be ordering my own Clairsonic soon.  You read so much about skin care and moisturizing but I believe that this product will fit perfectly in any skin care routine.  The cleaner your skin is, the more you can really soak up all of those amazing serums and moisturizers we all spend so much on.  You can purchase the Clairsonic on their website, as well as retailers like Sephora.  Katie picked up hers at Juvitus on the web.

Have you tried it yet?

A trip to Nordstrom Rack

Nordstrom Rack opened here in Charlotte last week.  From what I heard there were lines out the door to get in the first few days that it was open.  After a trip to see the nephews, Momma and I headed out there on Monday afternoon.  Before I started working in retail, I always thought that outlet stores were basically, the crap that no one wanted.  After a few years in the retail business and going through several seasons, I can tell you that a lot of what is sent to outlets stores is not just the things no one wanted.  Retailers do send off a large hunk of their stock that did not sell, this is true, but they also send things that the buyers over ordered....Think about it, when a retailer is conducting a buy, they are thinking about a year in advance of the actual season.  They are ordering based on the forecasted trends for the season and they are ordering on what they think that you will buy.  Obviously they do a wonderful job at this, that is why we see so many amazing things in stores.  That is why it is so necessary to scoop up certain things at regular price.  That amazing Diane von Furstenburg Vintage Print wrap dress in a size 8, you better scoop that up at regular price, because it will never be there come sale time.  The perfect Brunello Cucinelli cashmere sweater that you will have in your closet forever, scoop it up.  Buyers aren't perfect, they over order a style, they order too many of one size, they order something that just doesn't work for the mass market.  This is where outlets come in to play and where you can truly find some fabulous things.  Now, I went into the Nordstrom Rack (on South Boulevard near Pineville) with my eye on product, not on shopping, and I was pleased with what I saw.

 The store is very big, it occupies the old Circuit City for those of you Charlotteans, and it was full.  I can only imagine what it was like the day that it opened.  I started off by looking in the Contemporary section.  They had quite a bit of Elizabeth and James.  I noticed a couple of prints being from last spring, but they were floral and would definitely fit in to this Spring's floral trend.  They also had several pieces by Vince and Alice and Olivia.  Those of you who love Juicy, they had a bunch of that too, but I will warn you, it was mostly the ones that had the bling across the butt (please, no!).  I also saw some Joe's Jeans....The Honey Fit!  They were priced at about $77, which is about half price, and the wash was just a standard dark.  I also saw Seven, plenty of Splendid and Ella Moss and even BCBG.  They had a few pieces of D&G which is the Contemporary line of Dolce and Gabbana and some Burberry, not Prorsum, the sportswear collection, but some cute dresses priced in the upper two's.  They had Elie Tahari, actually quite a few trench coats!!  I didn't see any Diane von Furstenburg, but they did have a few pieces of Milly and Kate Spade.  The handbag department was a complete bust, except for a couple of Marc bags.  They had a couple Kate Spade bags, but I think they were from three years ago.

When I headed over to shoes, I was definitely excited.  They had a designer shoe section which was pretty much limited to Cole Hann, Burberry and Elizabeth and James.  I was a little underwhelmed.  When I started to look at my size, there were several pairs of cute wedges that I loved that were all under $50, now some of them had tassels and other odds and ends on them, but these could be easily removed.  They also had Havaianas!  Those of you who know me, know that there is nothing more that I love than being in my barefeet, but Havainas are a close second.

They also had a great intimate apparel section that included some Hanky Panky's, Walcol bras, and some comfy pajamas.  If you know your bra size, get fitted by a professional if you don't, it is a great spot to pop in and pick up a great bra.

The children's section is huge.  For all of you that have children, or nephews like me, you can really score there.  They had Polo shirts for $15!!  I think Momma freaked when she saw these for Hunter.  They had some tackiness as well, but most of it was pretty cute.  They also have children's shoes.  I saw Chuck Taylor's and little sparkly girls shoes (I have nephews and no use for sparkles) but they looked adorable.

They do have a big Men's section as well, with just about everything, okay, let's be honest, I spent zero time over there, but it looked big.  I did see denim, and dress shirts and ties.

So, yes, I think that a trip to Nordstrom Rack should be in order.  I don't know how often they receive new items, but I promise that I will find out for you.  I wanted to chat with a Sales Associate, but I never saw one, other than those at the register.  Going out there is a DIY project but just remember, are you really going to wear it?  Don't just buy it because you think it is a good deal.  How many of those do you have hanging in your closet?  If I come to your closet, I will find it, and it will go to the Goodwill!

Have any questions?  Email me, johann.wheatley@me.com

Closet Ramblings....

I was very fortunate, last week, to be invited to a dear friend's home to makeover her closet.  She is the mother of two young boys and her closet needed some work.  We got down to business quickly and went through what she had.  What I wanted to tackle first were some coats that she had hanging in her closet.  I have always believed, if you have the space, put your outerwear somewhere other than your closet.  This will free up a lot of space and leave room for you to spread out and really see what is in your wardrobe.  After this, I pulled out every pair of pants she had in the closet and had her try them on.  There were definitely a few that didn't fit (Goodwill) and few that fit (!), a few that were maternity (different pile and box) and a couple of pairs that she didn't remember she had and they fit (score!!).  From there we went through her tops and sweaters and really started to come up with some new and fresh looks.  She was going for a cute, causal look that could go to Sunday School, Church Activities, Playgroups as well as Girl's Night's and Date Night.  We came up with several looks that could go to all of those places.  We also came up with a list of things that would benefit her wardrobe.  These will come later and at different times. We also found a couple of fabulous long skirts and with fall trends showing long skirts, we may not use them now, but in the fall they could become key pieces.  Here are a couple of after shots of the closet.

I like to hang all pants vertically from pant hangers when I makeover a closet, this way, you can see all that you have and they take up less room.  I hang all like items together for easy wardrobing.  This was a full closet when I walked into it and by donating several pieces, we have made a lot of room for new ;) goodies.  I had so much fun doing this!  If there is anyone out there who would like me to makeover their closet, please email me, johann.wheatley@me.com, to discuss a time and pricing info.

Something New

Ok, so I am going to write about something totally different than my fashion obsession.  I have always been a terrible cook, well not really terrible, but it's just something that I have never really done.  Lately though, I have been trying new things in the kitchen.  Maybe it is my obsession with the Food Network or the several seasons of Top Chef I have watched but I have begun to get a little bit more adventurous in the kitchen.  My Momma has always made a great broccoli cheese soup, growing up it was always a family favorite.  Looking at the Harris Teeter ad this week (more on that later), I saw that Broccoli was on the VIC special so I decided to make my own soup, but with a twist.  I have always liked things with a little bit of a kick, so here is what I came up with.

I love onion in everything and have found that it is a great addition to the soup recipes I have made.  I roughly chopped a whole onion and sauteed it in olive oil with salt and pepper.  This is about how much I used.

After the onion was done, about translucent, I added it to a stew pot that I had not turned on.  I then peeled and roughly chopped four carrots.  I added them to the same pan I used for the onion, again with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.  One thing that I have learned in all of the cooking shows that I have watched is that, to get the best flavor, you must season each component of the dish.

Once these were softened I added them into the stew pot with the onions.  I then took the broccoli and chopped it, even leaving some of the leaves which I rough chopped.  I also tossed these in some olive oil and salt and pepper.  I didn't leave them in the pan long before adding them to the stew pot along with two cups of chicken broth, low sodium.

I guess to my friends out there who have babies, you could probably take part of this and throw it in the blender for some fresh baby food...Maybe, not with the onion, I have nephews for a reason!!  Their mother is in charge of meal times!  I digress, to this I added a small can of diced tomatoes with chilies, I used the ones with chilies because I like a little spice but I am sure you could use plain diced tomatoes as well.  I then added a cup of crushed tomatoes as well.  I turned burner on high so this could begin to boil.

I love the color in this soup!  Now, this is a creamy soup and I am not any kind of chef so I cheat when finishing it up.  To this I then added a family size can of Cream of Chicken soup and three cans of the Campbell's Cheddar Cheese soup.  I then added two more cups of the low sodium chicken broth and a cup of water.  I added a few dashes of hot sauce (to taste).

This is what the soup will look like when it is complete.  I kept this on the burner for about two hours on low.  You will need to stir it occasionally so the veggies don't stick to the bottom of the pan (yes, I know this from experience).  The one thing I would have done differently is that I would have added a little more broccoli.  I even had a taste tester stop by in the afternoon....

Elizabeth loved the soup.  I think the phrase that she used was that it was "the bomb.com", maybe that is what I will call it.  Thanks to E for being my guinea pig, I am glad she liked it.  Now, this does make a full pot of soup.  I have enough in my fridge for a few days.  Being single, it's nice to be able to make something I can eat off of for a few days.  I also took some to Hunter, so we'll see what the little guy thinks of it, he will be the most honest.  This is a great recipe and it does not break the bank.  I don't pretend to know anything about nutrition and I am sure that this isn't fat free, but it was real good.  I am a true Southern girl, who loves comfort food and doesn't just want to eat salad and hummus everyday!! The soup was great the next day, when it looked like the color from the tomatoes came through a little more.  I also added a few croutons and a dollop of sour cream.

Well, this is a little different of a post for me.  Let me know if you like it, want more?  I can be dangerous in the kitchen with a pile of ingredients and a camera!!

Shopping with Lindsay

One of my most favorite things to do is help someone find the perfect dress.  Well, the perfect dress, pair of jeans, outfit, even bra.  I love helping people to look their absolute best.  It not only makes them shine from the outside but the perfect clothing on the outside can make you feel amazing on the inside.  My beautiful cousin Lindsay needed a dress for an outdoor wedding in Charleston, South Carolina and I was so excited when she contacted me.  I popped in to Monkee's over at the Morocroft Shopping Center and they have some beautiful things.  I pulled some dresses that morning that I thought would be perfect for the occasion and for Lindsay's personal style.  Lindsay is a beautiful petite woman with a great reddish brown hair color.  She can wear a size 0 or 2 so it is easy to find things that will fit her.  Here are a few of the things we tried.

This cute little Alice + Olivia number caught my attention on the rack.  It was a fun little print and it had straps on the back that looked like buckles.  We both loved it but when Lindsay put it on, the top was just too big on her petite frame.  We tightened the buckles (which is a nice feature of the dress) but it just still didn't fit right.  As you can see in the picture above, the bunchiness at the top just didn't do anything for her figure.

This was another cute option.  We loved the comfort of the easy strapless cotton, but it was just not right for the occasion.  This would be great for the beach in the summer with a pair of Rainbows and cute with a pair of strappies for a night out in Charlotte, but it was not the look that we wanted for the event.

When I picked this up, I was attracted to the green color.  Green looks amazing on Lindsay.  With her hair color and her skin tone, this color is great for her.  And, hello, this is Susana Monaco!  Remember the fab tube tops from a few years back!  I haven't seen them around in so long but this maxi dress was amazing.  Yes, it would definitely need to be hemmed but we loved this.  Again though, we just didn't think that this was the look Lindsay was going for.  The wedding was in Charleston in April and it was an outdoors so we wanted something more colorful, more fun.  The following dress was the first one that I picked up when I walked into Monkees.

This Shoshanna dress was PERFECT!  The colors were so vibrant and it fit Lindsay perfectly.  The best thing about this dress was that it required zero alterations.  The length was perfect on Lindsay's petite frame.  It is always hard for petite girls to find a dress that doesn't require any alterations on the length.  Lindsay is about 5'2"...Our beloved Yiayia (grandmother in Greek) was a teeny tiny thing and my lovely Aunt Loula (Lindsay's mom) is tiny as well, so this runs in our family.  The wonderful thing about this dress is that the straps are adjustable, so it could be fitted on top to fit Lindsay's frame.  I have helped my Aunt Loula find a dress many times and we have always had to have them altered so it was an added bonus that this dress did not need any alterations.  Shoshanna dresses are wonderful for all body types.

You can see from this side profile picture how the dress hits Lindsay perfectly in the waist.  The most flattering part of a woman's body is the waist, it is the smallest part of our bodies and should always be emphasized.  You can see how flattering it is on Lindsay.  You can also see in this picture the adjustable straps in the back.  This will be beautiful on Lindsay at the wedding in Charleston with a great pair of nude heels and she can wear it over and over, just changing up the shoes.  She can pop on a pair of wedges for a look that is a little less dressy and she can take it to the beach in the summer for a fun dinner out.  We all love dresses that we can wear again and again by just changing up a few things.

A big thank you to Lindsay for letting me use her on my blog.  She looks beautiful!  If I can help anyone find a dress, please email me at johann.wheatley@me.com.  This is my passion and I would love to work with anyone!  Thanks for reading!!

A Few of my Favorite Summer Things!

I think that every Southern girl has one place that they love to vacation, the beach!!  It doesn't matter if it's Wrightsville, Edisto, Sullivan's or my home away from home, Ocean Isle Beach, NC...There is just something about being in a bikini, a visor and some sunglasses that we love.  Not only is style so easy in the summer, hello maxi dresses and bare feet, but we all have more time to hang out with family and friends and everything just seems a little sweeter.  Oh, and did I mention ice cold beer???  Since I am sitting on the porch swing at my parents house soaking up the last few minutes of the coast, I thought I would go ahead and blog about all of my favorite summertime products.  I love the ease of a summer beauty routine.

This Bobbi Brown Beach Sunscreen Body Spray is always in my beach bag and a constant in my summer routine.  It has SPF 15 which keeps my skin safe but is light enough to let some of my beloved rays in.  It has an incredible light fragrance and a texture of an oil so it looks great on your skin as well.

You will have to forgive me about being dramatic when it comes to Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess, but if there is one scent I could have follow me around forever, it would be this one!  Estee Lauder comes out with the Bronze Goddess line during Spring and Summer and quantities are always limited.  I love to use the fragrance but have also used the body oil, which is lovely in the summertime, especially to make legs look amazing.  There are also beautiful bronzer's and other eye shadows etc., that are part of this line.  Don't just take my word for it, go into you local retailer, find it, smell it, I know you will want to take it home with you...

During the summer when I am tan, and spending more time outdoors, the last thing I want to do is mess with a bunch of makeup, especially foundation.  My go to product during those months is Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer.  I use the oil free version.  It goes on easy, I just use my fingers, and feels extremely light on my skin.  It gives a light coverage but still gives me that dewey look that I love.

Finally, Chanel always comes out with amazing nail polish colors.  The one that I am currently loving is Black Pearl.  The cool thing about this color is that it can look silver, grey, or even green.  When I have it on, I always hear a different color, which is a lot of fun.  I think that this is a great transitional color from fall into spring.  This is great before breaking out the fun corals and pinks to come.

Clothes are my first love, but I am a sucker for anything that makes you feel pretty!  These are just a few of my favorites!  What are yours?

Practicing What I Preach!

I talk to so many people about their closets and what they have in them.  I am embarrassed to say that mine was such a mess before I got down to it and dove in to take control over my own closet!

Here is a look at what I started out with....

From the pictures above you can see what a mess I had on my hands.  Clothes hung up with no rhyme or reason, just thrown in the racks.  Shoes and handbags everywhere on the floor and on random racks.  Hats, scarves, a mysterious cardboard box, that I finally realized had Christmas decorations in it.  I was wasting so much space and could not even see half the clothes that I had, much less the ones that I definitely needed to part with.  I dug in with my first task being to get rid of every hanger that came from a dry cleaner!!  I could not believe the amount of hangers I had in my closet.  The space that opened up from just removing those was amazing.  I then started throwing things out of my closet.  Things that I hadn't worn in years, things that I looked at and said, "what the hell was I thinking?!", things that didn't fit anymore (sad face!) and things that would just never fit again (double sad face!).  I went at it trying to be realistic as possible.  All of the free "gift with purchases" that you think are going to come in handy one day, they gotta go.  Here is a few picture of what I got rid of...

The cardboard box with those Christmas decoration, gone and filled with hangers, the pile of clothes, going to Goodwill along with those red Stuart Weitzman suede heels, that I truly loved, but bought a half size too big and when they stretched out, I just couldn't walk in them anymore.  I hope they find a very happy home, they were like brand new!  

When I dug into organizing my closet, I went with the way I have learned to merchandise.  I started with my underpinnings, I started with the sleeveless tops and tanks, started with white, moved to colors and then to black.  I then went into the short sleeved underpinnings and moved on form there.  This is an easy way to work with the items in your closet because when you need something to go under a jacket or cardigan, you have all of your sleeveless underpinnings in one place.  You need a t-shirt, they come next and so forth.  I kept to mostly solids and then added novelty tops toward the end.  

I have a ton of black jackets!  Black jackets and other blazers and cardigans.  I knew I wanted them in an order where I could see them all, but I didn't use them on a daily basis so I chose to put them on a lower rack.  I kept my underpinnings and tee's up top and hung these below.

I also put some other printed jackets and cardigans on that rack, along with hanging my shorts and skirts all together at the end of the rack as well.  I like having things in groups so that I know where everything is when I want to reach for it!

These are the two racks I worked on first and I feel like when they were completed, I could see everything which would lead to coming up with outfits a breeze.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a complete dress girl.  I love dresses!  Long dresses, short dresses, medium length dresses, I have room for you all in my closet!  When I started to organize them, I thought back again to the way I organized my tops and went with short to long and started with sleeve length.  I started out with my sleeveless dresses and went on from there.  This way, I could feel out what my mood was and go from there.  If I am feeling beachy and casual I go for a long cotton maxi dress, if I want to turn it on with a pair of heels and a mini, I go for my DVF vintage print minis, they're all together in the same place.

The last thing I did was organize my shoes and handbags on my shelves.  I also organized my boots on the floor.  Really it was just straightening them from the pile that they were in.  I also used little bins to organize my Hanky Panky's, tights and socks, sleep tanks and shorts and other items of lingerie.  This makes it easy after laundry and I even put my tights in zip lock bags, a trick I learned from Brooke's modeling box.  I labeled them so I wouldn't have to dig through four pairs of black tights to find the ones that I was looking for.

One other thing I think is important is to keep sweaters folded.  Hanging sweaters can get those annoying hanger marks on the shoulders and they can also get stretched and misshapen.  I fold all of my good sweaters and pop them on the shelves.  It will make them last longer and they are easy to see.  I also folded my leggings and they are easy to see by color so when I want to wear them I just pull them out and they don't take up as much room.

Finally as a personal touch, I found this little sign years ago when I was visiting my brother in college at Auburn in Alabama.  I popped into a cute little boutique and I saw this hanging there.  It has followed me to many of the places I have lived throughout the years.  It basically sums it all up!!

Xoxo!!

Fall 2012 Trend Alert!

I love keeping up with Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. With Facebook and Twitter, the updates are endless and pictures from the shows come out so quickly. I have seen several updates come out, all about one thing, maxi!! Maxi dresses have always been a favorite of mine in the spring and summer. So easy, so comfy and a beautiful long and lean look. I am excited to see that this trend is showing up for fall! Long dresses shown with structured jackets, long skirts shown with chunky knits. Even St. John showed a long flannel skirt... I am sure the usual suspects of trends will find their way, leather, knits, masculine dressing, but it is refreshing to see a new trend pop in there. I am already creating outfits in my head!! Happy Weekend All! Xoxo!

Sunglasses!

I loved the sunglasses that Jennifer Lopez wore on the beginning of American Idol tonight....They kind of looked liked these Chanel Sunglasses....

And, I absolutely love love love the scarf, that was actually a belt!!  I think Brooke's husband thought we were crazy but it was so chic and I think little Lawton loved it too!  You never know when you will find little jewels in your closet...or your Momma's closet...or your Grandmother's....or a good friend.  I love giving my things to my wonderful sister-in-law.  She is raising my two amazing nephews and never has enough time for herself.  She shares her wonderful sons with me and I share all my goodies with her!!  Not nearly enough of an equal trade, but fun!  Xoxo!!

Let's talk about Coral!

One of my favorite trends of the spring season is the color, Coral.  It is a great shade of Orange (my favorite color) and one that is easy to wear because there are so many places to make it pop!!  The easiest way to add coral to your wardrobe is in jewelry.  When I was putting looks together for Brooke, I found a great coral necklace in her closet.

I paired it with this Banana Republic top that still had the tags on it.  It was a cute floral (another trend) printed silk top with a self belt.  I usually do not like self belts but this one came with the same print on a ribbon style belt and when I tied it in a sweet bow, it really made the top flattering to Brooke's tiny waist.  We also found this bag in the closet under a few others and Brooke remembered it came with a longer strap.  I added the longer strap and slung it across her cross body style.  This added a new trend to the look and updated the top and basic pair of black Seven jeans.

We also found a cute pair of coral colored flat Liz Claiborne sandals.  Besides jewelry, shoes are another easy way to add a pop of color.  Especially if the color does not work with your skin tone directly, shoes and jewelry keep it away from your face, therefore anyone can wear it!

Here is another close up of the coral necklace with a simple striped button down.  The coral really pops with against the top.  Paired back to the white Seven (yes, again, stick with the brand that works for you) this really looked great.

Coral is just one of the fabulous spring trends!!  The warm weather is right around the corner (fingers crossed) so it is never too soon to think about adding things to your closet in this beautiful color.  It can also be brought into your look through makeup... Chanel has a wonderful Rouge Allure color in their spring collection!  All of the great makeup lines (Bobbi, Laura Mercier, Armani) are all showing a clean simple face for spring and shades of coral can be found to add touches to the lips, eyes and cheeks.  There are so many wonderful makeup artists around to help you achieve that wonderful Spring face... I happen to know a few of them if you're interested!!  Until next time, Xoxo!!

Pink Cowboy Boots, Barefeet and Uggs!!!

I was taking a walk through my parents beautiful neighborhood today.  I was wearing my old standby, Puma yoga pants, Auburn Tee, and my Reebok Easy tones (we'll see if they work come bathing suit season)....  I was super comfy on my walk... I saw the school bus coming my way and it stopped a few yards ahead of me.  Out came three cute little elementary aged schoolgirls.  The two blonde haired cuties had on cowboy boots, one the traditional brown color and the other a hot pink pair, the third girl had on a pair of Ugg boots that almost passed her knees.  I couldn't help but smile at the individual styles of these little girls...They had on book bags of different colors and different patterns (hello, pink zebra print)...They ran in front of me and when they got close to mom, she was holding another toe head blonde, this one with ruffled crop pants and barefeet.  I had to smile at each one, though fashion trends may come and go, style is something that is within us from the time that we are little tiny beings....I mean seriously, there is no way any momma thought that those Ugg boots fit that little girl, but can you imagine the argument at the breakfast table where the little one eventually won and wore them to school!  Xoxo girls!!  Bring on the style, I can't wait to see what you grow up to be!

Sunday with Brooke!

Sunday afternoon was so much fun!  This is what Brooke and I started with.  She had already pulled her jeans and cords from the closet and laid them on the bed.  This made it super easy to dive right in.  Brooke was such a sport and just started trying things on!  We started with the jeans.  It is so important to have a great fitting pair of jeans and to find the right pair for your body type.  I had been in a fitting room with Brooke a few times and knew that she was not a fan of the skinny jeans.  Even though skinny jeans have been a trend for the past few years, and yes, they are probably more of a staple than a trend, it doesn't work for everyone!  Brooke did have a couple of great pairs of skinny jeans that really did look great on her!  This black pair from Old Navy for example we used in a couple of outfits....

These black skinnies looked great with this racer back tank for a night on the town.  We added some black booties, a couple long necklaces and more than a few bangles and the look was a go!  The look is simple and a little funky.

When we first pulled this little black top out of the closet, I wasn't sure what we were going to do with it!  It snapped at the collar and had to long black ties hanging down, I know I looked at Brooke puzzled and she said that she loved the top and had worn it recently and gotten lots of compliments.  I paired it with the black skinnies and this black and brown striped cardi.  We added the fabulous tall brown Frye boots and the look really came together.  This is a look I thought was super cool.  I love mixing black with other colors, black and navy is one of my favorites, but this black and brown look really came together and is so easy to wear.  The big side bow on the collar is just unexpected enough to be fashion forward.  In addition to the black skinnies, Brooke also had a pair of grey skinnies that we put a few looks together with!

Both of these looks are casual and easy.  The top photo utilized Brooke's favorite scarf and a cardi she said that she had never worn before.  Mixing prints is an easy and fun way to update a look.  In the second look we just took a striped sweater and through a black blazer over it.  I have found that adding that third piece really makes a look complete.

These are just a few of the looks we came up with during our time together.  I will post more soon!  Thanks so much to Brooke for being my willing participant and letting me invade her space!

Second Post!!!

I promise my next few titles will be more interesting than first and second posts!  I am new to this whole blogging thing but am super excited!  Fashion is my most favorite hobby and a love of mine!!  I will talk  ad nauseum about what I think about clothes and fashion.  I had so much fun yesterday playing with my friend Brooke!  We came up with some great fall looks and I am excited to post them here tomorrow for y'all to see!!  We came up with all of the looks from her closet and didn't spend a dime.  Although I will talk about fashion and clothes mostly, you should also get ready to learn all about my wonderful family and friends!  My biggest critic and closest confidant is my four year old nephew, Hunter, who at two years old looked at me and said, "Toto, put on a dress", when I sat lazily in my sweats!!  Xoxo!

First Post!!

So excited to start my new blog!  Today is Super Bowl Sunday, but since I have no dog in the fight, I am going to have my own fun with my friend Brooke!!  We will be doing some closet editing, some makeup and some wardrobe building.  I am going to take lots of pictures and will post them here after...  Oh, and next week starts Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in NYC for the fall collections.  Can't wait to see what the designers are going to show!  Xo!