Nautical Inspiration

On April 24, 2012April 24, 2012 By all dolled upIn Uncategorized6 Comments

I have always been a fan of all things nautical and generally find that the looks inspired by this fun fashion trend tend to be timeless and easy to recreate. I mean seriously, what’s not to love about Sperry Topsiders, stripes, stripes, and more stripes, preppy sweaters, white pants, the liberty to mix red, white, and navy (without feeling like you’re dressing for the 4th of July), and how about all of those adorable little anchor embellished polos and shorts? Nautical inspired looks are not only easy (try mixing a navy and white stripe back to a red or white base), but always a winner in my book (as long as you don’t go too overboard-no pun intended!). 😉

So when the thermometers hit 80 degrees the afternoon I was headed out to see the famed Clinton Kelly do a presentation at our new Macy’s store in the downtown City Creek Center, I had the perfect outfit in mind to tackle both a warm afternoon in the city, and hopefully impress one of my favorite fashion icons (if our paths were to cross-which they did!!). Inspired by JCrew (of course!!) and my new favorite striped skirt that I picked up at the H&M in Seattle a couple of weeks ago, this is what I wore…

Cardigan: JCrew

Red Silk Shirt: Forever21

Striped Skirt: H&M (recent)

Belt: Mossimo for Target (recent)

Shoes: Chinese Laundry Love Me

Sunglasses: Calvin Klein c/o Macy’s Sunglass Hut

Monogram Necklace: Keti Sorely Designs (Etsy)

Watch: Michael Kors c/o Nordstrom Rack

Gold Bracelets: Macy’s and H&M

Silver Bracelets: Tiffany

Handbag: Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Hillier

There is nothing better than feeling confident in an outfit, and while I wish I had that feeling every day, that is not always the case. BUT, despite showing my legs and bare toes in public for the first time this year, I felt pretty darn confident in this selection. So when Clinton and I walked past each other in the Impulse department at Macy’s and he smiled approvingly and said “hello” to me, I managed to give him a huge smile, but couldn’t get a single word to come out of my mouth. It was an awkward moment, no doubt, but at least my outfit was fantastic-and I feel pretty happy about that.

A Stroll Down Memory Lane

On April 18, 2012April 23, 2012 By all dolled upIn Outfit Ideas, Uncategorized2 Comments

I was a really, really good little girl-and that is not an exaggeration. In fact I was often teased by my peers and called a goody-goody-two-shoes, a brown-noser, and the teacher’s pet (which was probably true). And of course it all seemed so horrible at the time, but in hindsight, I am proud that I was indeed all of those things growing up!! However, none of us are perfect and I of course had my challenging moments, just like any other kiddo.

In fact, my beloved grandma loves to tell a story about me when I was in the 3rd grade and visiting her in Detroit with my family. She and my mom had taken me shopping, and while I have always been opinionated about what I like to wear, for whatever reason, that opinion reached a fever pitch during this particular outing. My grandma wanted to buy me a Polly Flanders dress-white with pink and lots and lots of ruffles and smocking. She and my mom thought I looked ADORABLE in it and both ranted and raved in the fitting room about how excited they were for me to have it. I, however, was not convinced. And so, when my mom left the fitting room, my grandmother said I looked her squarely in the eyes and said “You can buy that dress for me, grandma, but I won’t wear it.” And oh the drama that ensued. To this day, my grandmother still laughs as she relives the shock she felt when her sweet little Abigail uttered those defiant words to her. But in the end, as I was a spoiled first-born grandchild and had previously done no wrong, ended up getting the dress that I wanted that day-a purple dress with white polka dots, and some really cute leggings to match. And as a budding fashionista who knew what she wanted from a very young age, it ended up being one of my favorite outfits during my 3rd grade era. So when I was at the Rack a couple of weeks ago and saw this cute polka dot number, I knew I had to have it in memorandum of that infamous day…

Sunglasses: Cole Haan c/o Nordstrom Rack

Dress: c/o Nordstrom Rack

Leopard Belt: Express (still in stores!)

Mustard Cardigan : H&M

Leggings: c/o Nordstrom Rack

Shoes: Jessica Simpon c/o Macy’s

Watch: Michael Kors c/o Macy’s

Necklaces: Tiffany, and my personal collection of charms

Many people reflect on defining moments in their life and as I look back, I can’t help but think that maybe the incident with my grandma and the Polly Flanders dress was perhaps my defining fashion moment. But whatever the case, I still love polka dots-so am thrilled that they are back with a vengeance this season. And as you may recall, I talked about chambray being one of the new neutrals of the season a couple of posts back, well, leopard is the other-which is why I selected a leopard belt to accessorize this dress. It might seem busy, but leopard really goes with anything due to its neutral coloration. Plus a leopard scarf, belt, shoe, or bag is a really great way to spruce up an outfit without having to put forth much effort.

Here’s to dressing in what makes us happy!!

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Cognac+Grey

On April 14, 2012April 17, 2012 By all dolled upIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I find that it is much easier for me to dress up than to dress causally (probably because it is more fun!). And truth be told, my casual outfits all seem to have a pretty specific underlying theme to them-some sort of pairing of cognac and grey. In my opinion, these two colors live in perfect harmony together, maybe even more so than ebony and ivory. Not only are they incredibly are chic when in tandem, but since one is a warm tone and one is cool, if you want to spice things up a bit, the possibilities of what you can add to this simple base are really pretty endless. So, last Saturday, when my hubby and I had a date with our littles (we are mentors with BBBS), I threw on my old faithful combination, but added a surprising (and fun) neon yellow striped sweater that left me feeling cute, casual, and comfortable for a rough-and-tumble play date.

Sunglasses: Steve Madden (TJ Maxx)

Neon Striped Sweater: American Eagle (on sale for $14.99!!!)

Grey Tank: JCrew (last summer)

Jeans: Else by Joe’s Jeans exclusively for Macy’s

Boots: Aldo Farmar (only one pair left!!)

Watch: Michael Kors c/o Macy’s (back in stock!)

Earrings: The Icing (recent)

And not only did I feel cute AND comfy all day painting and playing at the park, I also still felt like a bit of a fashionista-which is definitely a good thing. 🙂

Happy weekend!!!

Everything AND the Kitchen Sink

On April 5, 2012April 6, 2012 By all dolled upIn Uncategorized4 Comments

I have always wanted a white kitchen and a farm sink. And when J and I decided to forge ahead and purchase our “fixer-upper”, I had only one stipulation (well that probably isn’t entirely true-pretty sure I had more than one), I was going to have the kitchen I had been dreaming of. I figured if we were going put in all of the hard work and labor, then I wanted to reap the benefits of the end result with a kitchen we could really love and enjoy. And fortunately for me, my hubby was on board. Thus began the work of not only gutting the existing kitchen (which was literally full of exploded paint balls, crusted, moldy spaghetti sauce, and chewing gum-everywhere), but picking all of the perfect pieces to build my new kitchen. And to tell you the truth, I’m not quite sure which part of the equation was harder work!!!

Once the kitchen was finished, we went about year without backsplash. I actually had one picked out from the beginning, but when I went to order it, the dye lot had been slightly altered, making it all wrong for the space. And so I became a huntress of tile. I looked high and low and in every store I could think of and finally, I happened to pop into a Home Depot (not our usual Home Depot) with my hubby and there it was, hanging in the special order section. It must have been meant to be. So after waiting patiently for our order to arrive (which was nothing compared to waiting for over a year to find the perfect backsplash), J and a friend installed the tiles, and I finally have my gorgeous, perfect, totally finished kitchen.

Before…This picture actually makes it look decent-which it wasn’t.

Getting my sledge hammer on to remove that AWFUL tile floor, only to discover four more layers of flooring that needed to be removed, and then, instead of the hardwoods we had hoped for, rotted-out subflooring from a previous flood. Yikes!!

New subfloors, patched walls, and no more hideous light fixtures (thank goodness!!!!!)

Cabinets and appliances going in-that was an exciting day. Although we did live without counter tops and running water for about two weeks (that was a real adventure!)

The almost finished product, and the way our kitchen looked for the last year (please excuse our messy counter tops). It was beautiful and just fine the way it was, but with no backsplash I always felt something was missing…

And FINALLY-the tile going in, and looking fancy!!!

And…the finished product!! It looks even better in person!!!

So there you have it. Pretty sure I’m quite in love with it, and pretty sure all of the blood, sweat, and tears that went into this kitchen make me love it that much more. Looking forward to sharing many more before and after stories and photos from our remodel, including the rest of our kitchen, complete with a gorgeous handmade bar crafted by my talented father-in-law! Stay tuned…

Besties

On April 4, 2012 By all dolled upIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Last weekend, 3 of my best girlfriends from childhood came to visit me in the SLC. And oh, I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I was counting down to their visit-I was like a little kid waiting for Christmas. And I have to say, our weekend definitely did not disappoint. We laughed, and giggled, and shopped, and ate lots of sushi, and shopped and laughed some more, and giggled, and shared stories over cocktails, and even had a pretty rad late night dance party (I can’t remember the last time I stayed up until 3am or did high leg kicks in the street!!!). So all in all, it was a pretty fabulous weekend and reminded me why we have all been such close friends for so many years-because we all have amazing fashion sense. Duh!! 😉

Shopping at City Creek Center. And yes, we all bought matching sunglasses at Cotton On.

My outfit: Striped Tank: H&M(still in stores!)/Black Jacket: Bar III c/o Macy’s/Necklace: H&M(sold out)/Watch: Michael Kors c/o Nordstrom Rack/Sunglasses: Cotton On

Getting ready to head out for a night of sushi and F.U.N.

My outfit: Blazer: H&M (sold out)/Bird Blouse: H&M (in stores!)/Belt: American Eagle (old)/Jeans: Gap Jeggings (still available in select stores)/Pink Shoes (see last pic): Jessica Simpson c/o Macy’s/Necklace: Tiffany

Amazing lantern decor at Takashi, my favorite sushi place in the SLC. **Fun Fact: These lanterns inspired the lantern canopy I had over the dance floor at my wedding!!!**

Yup, we brought our matching sunglasses out with us and wore them pretty much all night long-because we’re awesome like that. 🙂

And what night would be complete without a super cute pair of shoes? Certainly not ours!!

So ladies, thank you SO MUCH for making the trip to come and see me. I love you each dearly and will cherish the memories from last weekend for many, many years to come. But I guess I am left with one question, when and where are we going to do it again?????

Hamilton

On April 1, 2012April 2, 2012 By all dolled upIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I travel a lot for work and am constantly tailoring what I take with me so that I can be comfortable and practical. And since my office is mobile, I am always juggling some sort of purse and my laptop bag (so far I am holding firm on my refusal to get a roller). So after some research and several failed attempts at creating the just the right combo, I think I have finally found my perfect travel handbag. Drum roll please….. the Michael Kors Hamilton bag. Not only is it incredibly chic, but it’s the perfect size for traveling and the first bag in my collection that is a light tan (which is not only season-less, but also the perfect neutral).

Bag: Michael Kors Hamilton Macy’s $398 (I picked mine up at TJMaxx for about half the price)

Jacket: H&M (sold out)

Mint Tunic: H&M (old)

Leggings: American Apparel

Necklaces: Tiffany and my personal charm collection

iPhone Case: Kate Spade c/o Nordstrom

Andif you couldn’t tell by the last photo of me standing in a hotel room, I had the chance to test out my newest accessory last week and brought it along with me to Macy’s market in Seattle. The verdict? I absolutely loved it. Definitely worth the investment-plus it definitely doesn’t hurt that it is one of the hottest bags right now. 🙂

Blossom (and The Hunger Games)

On March 26, 2012March 26, 2012 By all dolled upIn Outfit Ideas, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Has anyone else out there seen the new Old Navy commercial complete with Blossom AND Joey???? I saw it the other day and not only did I love the throwback to one of my favorite classic TV shows, but I was totally inspired by the vibrant colors, floral prints, and all things spring showcased in the ad. So much in fact, that I decided to throw together this bright and cheery outfit to go to church, run errands, and catch a showing of the Hunger Games with some of my favorite gals on Sunday…

Cardigan: H&M (recent)

Striped Tank: H&M (last summer)

Floral Scarf: Francesca’s $18 (recent)

Purple Jeans: Else by Joe’s Jeans exclusively for Macy’s $68.00 (post to come!!!)

Boots: Aldo Farmar (sold out)

Watch: Michael Kors c/o Macy’s

Bracelets: Tiffany

To be honest, I was totally on the fence about these purple jeans at first, but now that I have worn them, I am really loving them! In fact, yesterday when I was out and about, I literally had several people stop me to ask where I’d found them. And not only are they cute, but they are way comfy too. They were the perfect choice to wear to a movie, and didn’t bag out in the bootie after sitting for a couple of hours. And speaking of the movie, The Hunger Games was FANTASTIC!!! I adored the books, and never like screen adaptations as well as their novel counterparts, but I just loved this movie. The casting was spot on and much of it (of course there were a few exceptions) was just as I had imagined. If you haven’t read the books or seen the movie, I highly recommend both. Oh, and Team Peeta all the way!!!

Keepin’ It Casual

On March 22, 2012March 26, 2012 By all dolled upIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

As a district planner for Macy’s, I am always busy juggling many different hats and recently the addition of opening a new store in the City Creek Center in downtown Salt Lake City, UT has been added to my plate. It is the only retail development in the United States opening this year, so it is a pretty darn big deal. And while the hours have been long, and stocking shelves, chasing orders, and planning plans have all been exhausting, I know the results will be well worth it in the end.

But perhaps more challenging than the grueling schedule, has been the difficulty in figuring out what to wear for this type of work. Normally we are in an office setting, but for this phase of our job, as we set the store, we have to be casual, comfortable, and open to getting dirty. And let me tell you, for me this is much more difficult than you might think. Not only do I work in fashion, but I LOVE fashion so have a hard time dressing dowdy for any occasion. And having to be at work an extra hour early, I am certainly not at my most creative when it comes time to getting dressed in the morning. So a challenge it has been. BUT I did manage to pull together a few looks, and even felt this one might just be blog worthy.

Jacket: H&M (sold out)

Polka Dot Top: H&M (recent)

Jeans: Seven for All Mankind (old)

Boots: Aldo Farmar (sold out)

Ring: Italian Flea Market

Nail Polish: Hunger Games for China Glaze District 12 with OPI gold crackle

And yes, even though I have been doing a lot of manual labor, I still made sure to paint my nails. I can’t decide if it is an addiction or obsession (or both) but not matter the situation, you won’t often catch me with bare nails. It kind of feels like being naked!!

Stay tuned for more updates on the new store to come. Our grand opening was actually today!!! It was amazing, but exhausting, so I am off to bed to get some much needed rest. Sweet dreams(of new shoes, of course).