Belzhar-Inspired Look

Happy Friday!  Can I get three cheers on that one?!

Today I'm bringing you a look inspired by the book Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer.  I absolutely loved this book (especially the twist at the end!) and am excited to create a look for it today.

Since the book is set at a camp-like boarding school, I designed an outfit that I could see campers wearing when they want to look nice.  Because of the "magic" of Jam's English journal, she is able to see her deceased boyfriend in dream-like states.  So she's definitely going to want to look her best for him. 

Here's what I designed:

So cute!

• I think high-waisted shorts are so cute for camp settings.  They just have that vintage, "let's go drive around the country in our camper" vibe.  
• I paired the shorts with a floral tank top and cardigan.  Camps usually mean you'll be hot or cold (or both) so that's all covered here.  Again, I picked something that Jam would feel pretty in for her boyfriend.
• Keds are the perfect shoe to go with high-waisted shorts.  And who wouldn't want mint green Keds?!
• A gold monogram necklace (I used "R" here for Jam's deceased boyfriend, Reeve) adds a final feminine touch.

What do you think?  Would you wear this if you were at a camp/school?
 For the details of each piece, click here.

Two more reviews/outfits next week!  See you then!

Landline-Inspired Outfit

Happy Tuesday!

Yesterday I shared a review on Landline by Rainbow Rowell, and today's outfit is inspired by the protagonist Georgie McCool.  Georgie has a really cool job--and may be getting her big break in launching a new TV show--but her marriage may suffer for it.

For much of the book, Georgie is camped out at her mom's house, talking to her husband on a magical landline phone or hiding from her writing partner and their looming deadline.  She's constantly throwing on sweatpants and wrong-sized clothes because her appearance is the least of her concerns right now.  Which leads us to our outfit today--a comfortable outfit that Georgie can just throw on...but STILL look good.

Here's what I designed:

And here's how I came up with it:

• I knew I had to give Georgie sweatpants.  But these sweatpants are fitted around the ankles (which are so popular right now!), so they give off a little more of a put-together look.  The zipper pockets add to this, too.
• The tank top is of course a reference to the CBS show Big Bang Theory.  I'm not sure if Georgie would actually be a fan of this show (people seem to either love it or hate it), but I think she would at least support other TV comedies in her clothes.
• The aqua sweatshirt jacket is the epitome of comfortable and a chance to add a little girly color to the look.
• Vans are so easy to throw on, and these are fun.  The aqua background ties in with the jacket and the floral pattern screams "I'm not too matchy matchy!"  And I don't think Georgie would be so matchy.
• Messy buns are all the rage (thank goodness--I am too rushed in the morning to curl my hair every day!), and Georgie would definitely want her hair out of the way.

So what do you think?  Would you lounge around in this outfit?

If you love this look, check out all the details here.

Tomorrow you'll see two of my outfits and how I styled them with denim!

Slaying the Debt Dragon-Inspired Outfit

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Last week I shared about my friend Cherie's new book Slaying the Debt Dragon.  I am 100% behind this book and oh-so-proud of Cherie and her husband, Brian, for sharing their story.  Which means I couldn't wait to design an outfit for the book!

But before I share it...let me backtrack a minute.  A while ago, I came across this image from Pinterest (oh, Pinterest!) and thought it was a great look:

(Image source link broken/unknown)

I love the mix of the navy and mint and the hint of a nautical theme.  

Now back to Slaying the Debt Dragon...if you learn anything early-on from Cherie, it's that getting out of debt probably means (well, let's be honest--surely means) cutting back on spending.  So going out and buying pieces for a new outfit just wasn't practical.  So I did what we all need to learn to do--shopped my closet!

Did you know that the majority of Americans only wear 30% of their wardrobe (heard yesterday on The Today Show)?!  That's crazy, right?!  Why are we buying pieces and not wearing them?  So I hunted my closet and created this FREE outfit (did you hear that, Cherie?  FREE!):

A pretty good match, right?  Nautical, mint, navy, jacket, scarf...

I used mint skinny jeans, a navy tank top, jean jacket, striped scarf, and nude heels.

It was so fun to create an outfit that I've never put together before!

What are you missing out on from your closet?  I DARE you to shop your closet to put together a new outfit!

*All pieces are from my closet and probably no longer in stores, but here is where I found each piece:

Mint pants--TJ Maxx

Jean Jacket--Old Navy

Tank Top--GAP

Scarf--J Crew Outlet

Heels--DSW

Yaqui Delgado-Inspired Outfit

Hi, readers and fashionistas!  Last week I reviewed Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, and needless to say, I loved this book.  It was so much better than I expected, and I was rooting for protagonist Piddy the whole way through.

Today's outfit is based on Piddy and her new school.  It's an urban school where Piddy has found herself in the middle of unwanted drama.  So much drama, in fact, that Piddy doesn't want to go to school for fear of being attacked.  So when I designed today's outfit, I created a "tough" outfit, clothes that give a "don't mess with me" message.  Because poor Piddy could use all the help she can get in keeping away Yaqui and her crew.  So here's the outift:

A tough look but girly nonetheless.

• Skinny jeans are all the rage, but these particular jeans are a little ripped to give it that edgy look.
• The tank top has girly colors--pinks, yellows, etc--in the design of a large skull.  Gotta be tough if you want to wear a skull, right?
• Accessories are edgy but feminine--pink high tops (a very urban shoe), black nail polish, and a spike bracelet.

A tough look that isn't overdone; in fact, the accessories are few but complement the clothing well.

So would you wear something like this?  Would you feel tough?

I'll be back with a "How NOT to Look like a Librarian" post and a review of the book The Testing (a great choice for dystopian fans!).  See you then!

Jeans--Pull & Bear
Tank---Modcloth
High Tops--Aldo
Nail Polish--Essie
Bracelet--CC Skye

*I am not associated with any companies/products mentioned.

Into the Still Blue-Inspired Outfit

Wow did I love Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi--my favorite book in the trilogy, mostly because I couldn't get enough of the characters.  And as I mentioned in my review, in this book Aria and Perry's "tribes" have come together in a desperate search for survival.  So I thought today's outfit would represent a mix of their two cultures.  
Aria's group of Dwellers--futuristic, clean lines, and sharp
Perry's tribe of Tides--animalistic, natural, and comfortable

And here's what I came up with:

Neutral yet fun, right?  Here's what I chose:

• I wanted a leather jacket because the Dwellers were totally into that kind of wardrobe.  But I chose tan for the Tides--a warmer, more natural color.  I paired this with a blank tank to keep it all neutral.
• Roughed up skinny jeans--rough for the Tides, skinny for the Dwellers.
• The leopard print shoes are totally Tide-related.  Plus they give the outfit a more comfortable look.
• Black accessories--stud earrings and a necklace--tie the color palette all together.  I like the chain-wrapped-around-the-stone as a symbol of Aria and Perry's worlds colliding together.

So what do you think?  Could you see yourself wearing this?

Jacket and Tank--John Lewis
Jeans--True Religion
Shoes--Avenue 32
Earrings--JC Penney
Necklace--David Yurman

*I am not associated with any companies/products mentioned.

That's it for this week's posts!  Few but fun...I will be back next week with more books and fashion!  See you then!

One Step at a Time-Inspired Outfit

Good afternoon, readers and fashionistas!

Yesterday I reviewed One Step at a Time by Josh Bleill, a memoir of Bleill's service in the Marines and the heartbreaking yet inspirational story of him losing his legs.  So today's outfit is very military-inspired.  But here's a disclaimer: I don't know much about the Marines, so this isn't an outfit to be taken so literally.  It's just an outfit that makes me think of military hues and lines.  Here it is:

Let's break it down:

• The blazer is that typical military olive color, and I love the way the waist is cinched.  Very clean and classy-looking!
• I paired the blazer with a goldish-tan tank, another typical military color.
• Boyfriend jeans are a bit relaxed and (as the name suggests) guy-inspired.  Now I don't necessarily think that the military is relaxed, but it is obviously male-dominated.
• The necklace has straight lines and reminds me of military medals. 
• The tan flats match the colors of the outfit and keep the outfit a little more sensible.

So what do you think?  Could you see yourself wearing something like this?  Is your wardrobe military-inspired?

Blazer--Tonello

Tank--Uma Wang

Jeans--J Brand

Necklace--Daily Look

Flats-- Tory Burch

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

I'll be back tomorrow with my own Outfit of the Day--see you then!

Friday Find--A Nerdy Workout Shirt

Hi, friends!

So two months ago, I joined a Crossfit gym.  I was scared OUT OF MY MIND because (1) even though I've worked out in the past, it's never been super-intense, (2) I didn't know any of the Crossfit lingo, and (3) I didn't really want anyone in my face yelling at me. 

To say Crossfit has changed my life is cheesy and cliche, but it is a-mazing.  I have really found a community, a family of sorts, that supports and encourages me to get stronger and fitter.  And I have already improved big-time, especially in my pull-ups, weight-lifting (which I had really never done before!), and overall endurance.

I've been checking out workout clothes, because I'll be honest, I just don't have much.  And when I came across this tank from Skreened, I knew it was perfect for me:

How cute is that?!

The Sorting Hat from Pottermore.com put me in Hufflepuff, and I couldn't be prouder of that after seeing this shirt!!!  Now if I can convince my husband to let me get it...

What have you been finding lately?

Through the Ever Night-Inspired Outfit

This week I reviewed Under the Never Sky and Through the Ever Night, two books in the Under the Never Sky series by Veronica Rossi.  Needless to say I can't wait for the third book to come out next year!

So today's outfit is based off Through the Ever Night and focuses on something an Outsider might wear (since I already designed an outfit for a Dweller).  I wanted the outfit to be a little rugged and adventurous but still have some style.  And here it is:

 

(Obviously an outfit designed for Aria or other females)

So let's break it down:

• I wanted cargo pants since they allow for pockets and movement, but I didn't want baggy cargos with no shape.  These are great because they have the look of a skinny jean without being so skinny.  And the color, a navy/gray, is great, too, since it allows for dirt to not be so noticeable (this is an outdoor look, after all!).
• The mint printed blouse adds a rugged look to the outfit without being too bold.  I could definitely see Aria in this--she's feminine and sweet but also constantly running around.  And of course it needs a white cami underneath...I chose one that has a little bling on the front to make it a little more feminine.
• I LOVE these boots!  Totally fun for being outdoors and still looking like a girl!  I love the metallic detailing around the ankle--a perfect choice for this look!

So what do you think?  Could you see Aria wearing this in the Tides' tribe?

I'll be back this weekend to show off a painting project and an outfit of the day!  See you then!

Blouse--Equipment Daddy--$110
Tank top--Witchery Broderie--$75
Cargo pants--J Brand--$285
Boots--BCBGeneration at Macy's--$169

*I am not associated with any brands or companies mentioned.

Eleanor & Park-Inspired Outfit

Yesterday's review of Eleanor & Park featured a 1980s setting...perfect for outfit design!  So today's outfit is totally inspired by the 80s...totally rad!  So I picked a couple of trends that I remember from the 80s (I was a little kid then, you know) and designed this look:

Can you guess what 80s trends I'm playing up?  Let's go through it:

• The flower tank is tied in the front--don't you remember the 80s shirts tied to the side?  That was SUCH a thing then, so I played on that with this floral shirt.  The floral is super cute and sensitive...perfect for a romance book!
• I added olive skinny pants to match the shirt.  It tames down the color and keeps it contemporary.
• Jelly shoes!  Don't you remember and love jelly shoes?!  These pink jelly sandals bring back the jelly and add the pop of color we need.  They look super comfortable, too!
• Stacked bracelets that correlate with the outfit keep the accessories simple and feminine.  

So what do you think?  A simple, girly outfit to play on the 1980s (but no one has to know that's what you're doing!).  I'll be back on Sunday with an Outfit of the Day post!

See you then!

OOTD (4)--A Nerdy Travel Outfit...and a September Favorite

Hey, guys!  I'm in Washington DC right now!  My sister, Alison, is being promoted to a Major in the Air Force, so our family has come along to celebrate (and as an added bonus, my other sister, Lauren, and I will be singing the national anthem with Alison at her ceremony!).  So I thought I'd show you the outfit I traveled in!

I'll fully admit it--I'm a nerd (although a fashionable nerd, right?).  I love learning, reading, museums--all the typical nerdy stuff.  So when I saw this owl shirt, I knew I had to have it.

Even though I'm kind of getting tired of the owl trend, I fell in love with this guy--I mean, he has a bow tie, cardigan, AND glasses!!!  Love him.  I think I'll name him Walter.

When traveling, especially flying, it's important to dress in layers.  So I paired the owl shirt with the colors in it--a red/orange tank top underneath and a mustard cardigan on top.  So comfy and so cute!
I love skinny jeans and I added some blingy sandals to dress it all up.  
I'll admit--I completely forgot jewelry and didn't want to deal with security making me take it all off.  So I just had some faux diamond studs in my ears.

Isn't he so cute?!

Owl shirt--Target
Cardigan--Target
Tank top--Old Navy
Jeans--TJ Maxx
Sandals--Rack Room Shoes

And since September is now over--I can't believe it!--I wanted to share one of my favorite products from this month.  I've heard people rave about this product for a few years now but just got around to picking it up.  And I LOVE it!

It's the Seche Vite top coat for your nails.  It totally covers and protects your nails and the best thing about it is that you can put it on your nails while THEY'RE STILL WET!  I love love love this product.  I got mine at CVS.

What have you been loving this month?  Come back tomorrow--I'll be reviewing the second and third books in the Eve series by Anna Carey, with correlating outfits, of course!

*I'm not associated with any of the companies/products mentioned.