Friday Find--Steve Madden

Here's a super fun Friday fashion find (whew, that was quite the alliteration!)!!  I loooove Steve Madden shoes...they're so chic and comfortable.  So I was really excited to see these Steve Madden Petra sandals on sale for $24.94!  They're originally $99.00, friends!  What a discount!

These shoes are beautiful--they're great to wear with skinny jeans, dresses, skirts--it's endless.  And what better way to forget the snow day blues than with some shoes fit for Spring?

These are from DSW and are going fast!  

What's YOUR Friday find?

*I am not associated with DSW or Steve Madden.

REVIEW--The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Valentine's Day is so close...just a few weeks away!  Are you planning on celebrating with someone special, family, or friends?  Well why not add a lovey-dovey book to your reading list?  Today's review is on The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith.  A sweet little romance that will only take you a few hours to read and will give you the satisfactory feeling of falling in love.  Let's get to it!

Isn't the cover adorable?

• Standalone novel
• Romance

The Gist:
Hadley is ticked off at her father.  He went to London to teach for a semester at a university, but while there he fell in love with London AND another woman.  So he's divorced Hadley's mom and is now getting married to Charlotte.  Hadley, unfortunately, is being forced to attend his wedding.  If that doesn't make her grumpy enough, she misses her flight by 4 minutes (4!!!) and is bumped back to a later flight.  But on that later flight she sits next to Oliver, a London boy (with a British accent!) who is able to distract her from her frustration with her father and her fear of flying.  But can you really fall in love with someone at first sight?  And how do you find them once you get separated? 

What I Loved:

• Jennifer E. Smith's writing style was so beautiful in this book.  So engaging, and the prose was just lovely!
• I loved the time frame of this book--it takes place within 24 hours only.  Most books take place in days, weeks, months, and even years, so this was an interesting twist.
• The book was very clean, sweetly romantic, and quick to read.
• It also evoked a lot of emotion from me--I was in love, then sad, and often annoyed. 

What I Didn't Love:

• Ok, let's be honest.  If two teens fell in love on a plane, they would get each other's phone number, become Facebook friends, follow each other on Twitter, or at least learn each other's last name.  Hadley and Oliver didn't do any of these things, which makes for a better story, but a more unbelievable story.
• Hadley's dad goes from being awful to great a little too quickly for me.

My favorite quote:  "That's why flying's so great," he said.  "You're stuck where you are.  You've got no choice in the matter."

A cute, sweet read for Valentine's Day...I give it four heels!

Check back for an outfit based off of Hadley's bridesmaid dress!  See you soon!

 

Bomb-Inspired Outfit

Last week I reviewed a nonfiction (gasp!) book by Steve Sheinkin--it's called Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon and is all about the building of the atomic bomb.  So that means it was set during WWII.  So of course I had to design an outfit today for that time period.  And here's what I created:

I like to imagine that my grandmothers wore outfits like these in the 40s!

Here's the breakdown:

• The plaid pencil skirt was a staple in the 1940s.  I kept the pattern simple here--navy with tan and gray lines.  
• To lighten the look, I added a peach ruffled blouse.  Going sleeveless was probably a little risky for the 40s, but this is an interpretation, right?
• Blue pumps.  You always saw ladies in pumps, and this color nicely complements the clothes.
• A pearl bracelet to keep the outfit soft and sweet.
• A boater hat...I love the hats of this time period! A fun way to add some pizzazz to the outfit!

So what do you think?  Does this show off the ladies of the 40s?

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

Skirt--House of Fraser
Blouse--Modcloth.com
Shoes--Aldo
Bracelet--Bloomingdales
Hat--6pm.com

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

REVIEW--Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon

Hello, friends!

Snow, sickness--we're all feeling ready for Spring!  But sometimes that's the best time to read a book, right?!  

Today's book review is on Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin.  This book is totally out of my comfort zone in that it's nonfiction.  And I just rarely read nonfiction (unless it's a biography).  But I had heard great things about this book AND I wanted to read more about the key "players" involved in building the atomic bomb.  So let's get right to it:

• Standalone book
• Nonfiction

The Gist:
This book starts with a German chemist's discovery that uranium atoms can split at two.  This discovery led to a scientific race to build an atomic bomb and control power in WWII.  The U.S., the Soviet Union, and Germany were in a literal race, knowing that whoever built the bomb first would win the war.  The Soviets sent spies to the U.S., Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Einstein sent a letter to FDR, and secrets were everywhere.  

What I Loved:

• I literally had no idea how many people were involved in building (or stealing plans for building) the atomic bomb.  This book was very well-researched--the best word to describe it is thorough.     
• The format of the book.  There were photos at the beginning of each section that showed key players, settings, situations; this added a lot to the reading of the book.
• I love narrative nonfiction because it doesn't read like a textbook.  I appreciated that this book so often read like a story.
• The ending was haunting--as it should be!  We're definitely not free from atomic bombs, and the book made them perfectly clear.
• There were so many perspectives and characters that it was very interesting to see the various points of view.  I especially enjoyed reading about the man who flew the plane that bombed Hiroshima; I'd always wondered about his opinion of the event.

What I Didn't Love:

• Although I loved all the points of view, there were SO MANY people involved that sometimes it was overwhelming.  It was hard to keep everyone straight (at least to the novice of me).
• I was told that this book read like a high intense spy novel, so I expected I read that I couldn't put down.  But even though it is nonfiction, it wasn't a thriller for me.  It was me reading history--enjoyable, but not edge-of-my-seat. 

My favorite quote: "It's a story with no end in sight.  And, like it or not, you're in it."  (The last lines of the book)

So an enjoyable read for those interested in history or those wanting more knowledge of the atomic bomb.  I give it three high heels.  Now let's just hope that everyone keeps their bombs inactive...right?

I'll be back soon with an outfit inspired by WWII, since that's the time period of this book.  See you then!

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.

REVIEW--Scorpia Rising

Happy Friday, everyone!

I'm very excited about today's review--I LOVE the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz.  I never thought I would be so engaged in a James Bond-like series, but I was hooked from the first book.  I just finished the ninth (yes, ninth!) book in the original series.  Recently Horowitz released the first in a companion series and I am so stoked to read it!

So this review is over Scorpia Rising.  Let's jump right in!

 

• Ninth book in the Alex Rider series (You need to read the first eight books--you'll love them!)
• Adventure

The Gist:
Once again, Alex Rider is trying to move on with his life after barely surviving the last mission for MI-6.  He's back at his school with his good friends and is still living with Jack, his "nanny/housekeeper."  But Scorpia, the organization filled with the world's worst villains, has a new client--Ariston Xenopolos, a billionaire who wants the Elgin marbles returned to Greece (from England).  Scorpia's project manager, Razim, schemes to use Alex as blackmail  for this task.  Which means Alex soon finds himself in the Middle East, in the most dangerous mission yet.

What I Loved:

• Everything that I loved in the previous eight books are back in this one--adventure, intensity, villains, thrills.  Just loved it!
• This book brought back Julius Grief, a character from an early book in the series.  I hadn't been satisfied with his ending, so I was glad that he came back in this one (even though he is evil).
• Jack's story.  I was always afraid that I would get to the end of the series and she would be revealed as a secret agent.  I'm glad that she wasn't and that she was vulnerable.  Alex can't escape every mission unscathed, and even though Jack came to an unfortunate end, it made the story more realistic. And by the way, I totally would have done exactly what she did.
• The ending.  Alex's story ends just the way it should.

What I Didn't Love:

• The secrets revealed about Smithers.  Smithers is one of my favorite characters, and I love his big, flabby body.  The surprise you learn about him made me roll my eyes.  I just want him to be big, lovable Smithers.
• MI-6 made a lot of rookie mistakes in this book, especially in having meetings with Alex and Jack.  I expected more from them. 

My favorite quote: "Rooms tell a lot about the people who occupy them.  Blunt had made sure that this room said nothing at all."

A really fun read!  I HIGHLY recommend you read this series--you will LOVE them!

Check back tomorrow for a spy-inspired outfit.  See you then!

Modcloth Uniquely You Style Competition--Check It Out!

Happy Thursday, readers and fashionistas!  I was recently contacted by a Modstylist from Modcloth.com (her job sounds so cool--she basically stays up on trends and helps people create outfits for any occasion!) and asked if I would participate in Modcloth's Uniquely You campaign.  I thought it sounded super-fun, so I jumped at the chance to participate!

In the Uniquely You campaign, fashion bloggers are sent images of Modcloth accessories or articles of clothing; then we get to create a collage with up to 7 other Modcloth products and feature them on our Polyvore pages.  Modcloth will pick their favorite ensemble, and that winning blogger will have their collage featured on the Modcloth Polyvore page.  How fun!  I can't wait to see everyone's entries!  

For this week's contest, I was sent the image of the In the Key of Chic Dress in Polka Dots.  You guys, this dress is so adorable!  It is whimsical and cheery and I immediately knew exactly how I wanted to style it!  So here is my style entry:

 

Isn't it just darling?!  Check out the full link here!

Cardigan      Heels      Clutch      Earrings      Necklace

Here's the breakdown of the outfit:

•  Like I said, the dress is called "In the Key of Chic (polka dots)."  I can definitely see this outfit at a baby shower, a graduation, or any spring occasion!  It's light, full of color, and just plain fun!  I knew I wanted this dress to be the focal point of the outfit, so all of the other pieces needed to fit around it. 
• Because the dress is so colorful, I wanted the accessories to highlight it, not surpass it.  So I chose honey and royal blue--they complement each other well and bring out the colors of the dress.
• The honey cardigan keeps the dress casually formal (yes, you can be casual AND formal!).  If the cardigan is tucked into the royal blue belt, a woman's waist is defined and shown off!
• Aren't these blue heels ADORABLE?!  These definitely keep the outfit fun and flirty--I love them!
• Some simple honey and blue accessories--blue stud earrings and a yellow clutch.  Again, they go with the color theme and keep it whimsical.
• I added a red bow necklace; even though this accessory is small, it does so much!  It draws out the red in the dress, keeps the outfit from being too "matchy," and stays fun.

So what do you think?  Leave a comment below to tell me what you think!  And don't forget to check out Modcloth.com--their clothing and accessories are so adorable!

*I was contacted by Modcloth to enter their Uniquely You contest.  I am not being compensated for this post and have no other connection to Modcloth.  This is simply my design and my opinions!

 I'll be back tomorrow with another book review--see you then!