A Time To Dance-Inspired Outfit

Happy Friday!  Whew, after this week I am READY for a weekend!

Yesterday I reviewed A Time to Dance, a lovely book about a girl overcoming adversity and finding her love in dancing.  The book taught me quite a bit about Indian culture and dance, so today's outfit is inspired by the female protagonist Veda and her love of the dance bharatanatyam (look it up on Youtube; it's really cool!).

This outfit is inspired by the clothes used in bharatanatyam.  Here's what I came up with:

• These flowing pants are very popular in bharatanatyam, so I chose a pair that wasn't too bright or patterned.  The black button-up top is similar to the shirts seen on the male dancers.
• The black flats are simple yet a definite part of the outfit.
• Bubble bracelets and anklets are very popular in the dance, so I chose a group of bracelets that are similar yet still chic.
• Evil eye earrings ward off bad spirits--there's much symbolism behind them.

So what do you think?  Do you see the resemblance?

Want to see details about this outfit?  Get all the specific here!

I Am Scout-Inspired Outfit

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Today's outfit is inspired from my review of I Am Scout by Charles Shields.  This is a fantastic YA biography of Harper Lee and how her life impacted To Kill a Mockingbird.  Seriously a great read for Harper Lee fans!

This outfit brings back a bit of the 1950s and celebrates Harper Lee's preference for wearing male shirts. 
And here it is:

Do you catch the 50s vibe?

• I paired a chambray shirt with navy shorts.  Harper loved to wear men's shirts because they were more comfortable for her tomboy lifestyle, and a chambray shirt is a fashionable take on a guy's look!
• Don't you love this burgundy loafer?  It adds a pop of color and a little bling with the gold detail, but it's definitely not overpowering.
• A deep blue clutch, pearl earrings, and slim watch all add to the 50s feel of the look.

I love this look because even though it isn't overly feminine, it definitely still has some girly charm.  Perfect for a tomboy who doesn't want to look too much like a girl.

What do you think?  Would you wear something like this?

Want to find the pieces of this outfit?  Click here for all the details!

And don't forget to check out my latest YouTube video, a review on the book After Hours by Claire Kennedy!

Throne of Glass-Inspired Outfit

Psst...I posted a YouTube video today.  Did you see it?  It's an outfit inspired by Josh Sundquist's book We Should Hang Out Sometime.  Check it out if you haven't!

But I'm also giving you ANOTHER outfit today!  This one is inspired by Celaena from Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.  Celaena is one kick-butt character.  She's an assassin who can take down an opponent pretty quickly.  She's also in a love triangle (and I LOVE both guys!) which makes her softer side come out a bit, too.

So here's what I designed for a strong, fearsome woman who might also want to show off her girly side:

Doesn't this look like a tough yet girly girl?

• Black skinny pants, a black-and-white striped shirt, and an army green jacket are the perfect combination for looking "tough cute."  The colors aren't girly but they flow together well (and stripes are really in right now!).
• Black slip-on shoes were chosen because they're flexible and comfortable--exactly what an assassin needs, right?
• A spiked bracelet gives the look an edgy feel, as do the ear jackets.  Ear jackets are very trendy right now and I love them!  Although I don't own any yet...sigh.

So what do you think?  Does it fit Celaena?

Want to see how to buy this outfit?  Check all the details here.

Life As We Knew It-Inspired Outfits

Hello, readers and fashionistas!  Last week I reviewed Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer, a look at the world when the moon is knocked out of orbit (yikes!).  In the book Miranda has her entire life changed, and luxuries like clothes and food are not as accessible or changeable as before.

So for today's outfit inspiration, I chose to take one shirt and show three ways to wear it.  Because I'm sure that's exactly what Miranda was doing--re-wearing shirts/jeans/shoes over and over again.  So here's the shirt we're starting with:

 

Isn't it so cute?  And it provides warmth, which Miranda definitely needs in the book!

You'll notice that none of the outfits are very accessorized, since that was the last thing on Miranda's mind.  But I thought this shirt represented her well...even though she was going through a crisis, she still loved ice skating, felt writing was therapeutic, and even had a crush on a boy.  She wanted life to be as normal as could be, which meant going after her dreams.

So how could Miranda get the most out of her shirt?  Here are three ways:

 

Now for a big chunk of the book, Miranda has to think about staying warm, but the first third or so allows her to wear warmer clothes.  So in outfit 1, I paired the shirt with bright red shorts (you need a pop of color!) and black Vans.  Simple but chic.

Outfit 2 plays off the "I need to be warm" part of the book; therefore, it is paired with skinny jeans, a bright pink vest, and warm tan boots.  Casual but colorful and thoughtfully put together.

And of course, Miranda could always pair the shirt with pajama pants and fuzzy socks to stay warm at night.  This does make an awfully cute set of pjs!

So how would you wear something over and over?  You never know when natural disaster will strike, right?

When the Spy Needs to Stay in Shape...

Hi, friends!

Well, the snow has returned to Indiana...sigh.  I'm sending my best thoughts to the groundhog that he doesn't see his shadow in a few weeks.  We're ready for spring!!!!

But onward we go!  In my last post I reviewed Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz, the 9th book in the oh-so-loved Alex Rider series.  This series is so exciting--full of suspense, thrills, and even anxiety--and I cannot recommend it enough (especially to your reluctant guy readers!).  I've designed a spy-like outfit before, so today I decided to focus more on a "get fit" look.  After all, Alex Rider has to be in good shape if he has any chance of getting away from the crazy villains in this series.  So here's today's look:

A cute look for staying fit...or for going on a mission!

• I love the pairing of the long, tight-fitting shirt with the slim workout pants.  Allows for easy movement while giving maximum effort (baggy shirts won't be getting in the way here).  I think a hot pink color is a perfect spy workout color--it's bold, in your face, and confident.
• Aren't these shoes AWESOME?!  I love the bold neon yellow color with the pink detailing.
• Sunglasses, of course, are just a necessity for a spy.  These are pretty stylish with the animal print.
• The hot pink watch is perfect for workouts and keeps the outfit girly.  Love.

So what do you think?  Would you work out in an outfit like this?

I'll be back Thursday with another book review--keep reading and stay fashionable!

Long-sleeve zip-up shirt--Under Armour

Pants--Under Armour

Running Shoes--Under Armour

Sunglasses--Under Armour

Watch--Soleus (Amazon)

*I am not associated with any of the companies or products mentioned.

Awaken-Inspired Outfit

Happy Friday, everyone!  Yesterday I reviewed Awaken, the third book in the Abandon trilogy by Meg Cabot.  For today's outfit I was inspired by Kayla, Pierce's (human) friend in the book.  She's adventurous and feisty but also a bit of a romantic.  Plus in the book she wears a beautiful lavender dress, which led me to today's look:

 

Oooh, I think it fits Kayla perfectly!  Let me explain why:

• The polka dot shirt (an Equipment "Riley" polka dot blouse for $168) reminds us that Kayla has an edgy side to her.  In other words, she'd not going to be wearing button-up cardigans.
• I added the lavender scarf for a few reasons.  It complements the stark black and white shirt so well!  It brings in the color of her lavender dress in the book.  But it also represents the necklace that Pierce wears in the book (which turns lavender any time Kayla is near).  It is a perfect choice for this look!  *It's a Halogen Linen Blend Scarf for $29.
• Skinny jeans just complete the outfit and make it super contemporary.  These are Seven for All Mankind and are $275...ouch!
• The black ankle boots (Camille Block Heel Zip Ankle Boots, to be exact) again bring in the edgy, don't-mess-with-me aspect to the look.  And that is so Kayla's attitude.

So what do you think?  Would you be willing to wear a "Kayla" outfit?

I'll be back tomorrow to share a cute Christmas tradition of mine, and then Monday with another review!  See you then!

Add a Little Painting to your Weekend...and an OOTD

Hi, readers and fashionistas!  Well, the weekend is almost ever and Thanksgiving week is here!  I'm so excited to have this week to celebrate with my family!  But let me share a little bit from my weekend first...

One of my first pieces of "big girl" furniture that I bought on my own when I graduated college was a dining room table set.  And it's the same set that we use in our dining room today...but I'm kind of over it.  The wood finish on the tabletop was pretty weak--hot plates would often leave burn marks on top.  So we started using a tablecloth...and I hate tablecloths.  They're always uneven or need washed about every day.  With Christmas almost here, buying a whole new dining set wasn't really in the budget, so I decided to paint the table.

With the AWESOME advice of my cousin-in-law, Morgan, we bought chalk paint.  Specifically Annie Sloan paint.  Guys, if you are painting furniture, you HAVE to use Annie Sloan's chalk paint (not to be confused with chalkboard paint--it's called chalk paint because of its chalky feel).  This paint requires NO priming or prepping of the furniture.  And a little paint goes a long way!  Even though a quart of the paint is pretty pricey--about $38--it covers two tables plus a few chairs.  

You can't find Annie Sloan in a typical paint store, but it's sold in antique and small business shops.  You might have to do a little research to find it, but honestly, it is SO worth it (and my husband, who grew up painting with professionals, agrees!).

So here's how our table looks now:

And I LOVE it!  It has that shabby chic look and we haven't had any burn mark issues!

The chairs are going to disappear soon--hopefully with some great Cyber Monday sales!

So if you're a fan of painting furniture or adding some life back into some old pieces, you must check out Annie Sloan!

Ok, now on to an Outfit of the Day.  I've worn this outfit to work twice and both times received numerous compliments (from both co-workers and students).  And it's practically all from Target!  I love this outfit because it keeps me looking young and fresh but it meets all dress code standards.  Here it is:

• The skirt, which--let's be honest--is the center of attention of the outfit is a pink houndstooth print.  Hot pink.  I love it--and it's from Target!
• The black boyfriend tee and cami are also both from Target.
• The thick black belt is from Charlotte Russe, and a student told me that this outfit wouldn't nearly be as good without the belt.  It definitely brings the pieces together.
• Black tights (Target) and black heels (Madden Girl) keep the outfit professional.
• Simple accessories--a thick black bangle (a gift) and an initial pendant necklace (Linx & More) keep the outfit dainty but focused on the skirt.  I also wore stud earrings from Charlotte Russe.

So what do you think?  Would you wear this outfit to work?

I'll be back tomorrow with a review!  See you then!

*I am not associated with any of the companies or brands mentioned and purchased everything with my own money.