Fall/Winter Outfit Styling - Giles

This outfit is styled for my older sister who is currently a grad school student/teacher pursuing her masters in vocal performance. She's pretty fancy stuff, in case you were wondering. :)

She is looking for outfits that will work well for class as well as extracurricular activities. I wanted to pair rich, vibrant colors with some unique neutrals to create a palette that would suit her light skin tone and dark curly hair.

The scarf from World Market is an inspiration piece for the entire set. I love the scroll pattern in the corduroy skirt, but included some plainer alternatives as well (see 'Similar' links). All the other elements play well together for interchangeable dressing up or down. These 12 items can be re-mixed to create over 15 unique outfits.

Scarf*
Floral Gauze Scarf (Wine Country) - Old Navy, $8.00

Skirt*

SONOMA life + style® Modern Fit Scroll Corduroy Skirt - Kohl's, $19.99

Similar, Similar

Sleeveless Top
Crepe Pocket Tank (Silver Sash Brown) -  Old Navy, $19.99 

Blouse
Embroidered Chiffon Blouse (Creme Caramel) - Old Navy, $29.94


Blazer*

Merona® Women's Double Knit Zip Front Jacket - Target, $36.99

The boxy construction will balance out your shoulders with your hips

Cardigan

Mossimo® Women's Shadow Striped Cardigan (Oatmeal Heather) - Target, $16.08

Similar, Similar

Booties*

SONOMA life + style® Suede Ankle Booties - Kohl's, $36.99

(Pair with opaque tights when wearing a skirt or dress)

Flats
Mossimo Supply Co. Ona Scrunch Ballet Flat (Cognac) - Target, $16.99

Trousers
Diva Everyday Flare Khakis (Classic Navy) - Old Navy, $22.50

or Perfect Khaki Pants (Blue Galaxy)

Bag
Tassle Zip Tote (Twilight Lagoon) - Old Navy, $36.94
Good size for carrying school supplies!
Similar, Alternative

Belt
Braided Leather Belt (Black) - Old Navy, $7.97
Creates a more finished look, especially when the shirt is tucked in. Or use it to belt a loose top underneath the cardigan.

Necklace
Teal Multi-Strand Seed Bead Necklace - World Market, $19.99


Total: $272.38


Staple Pieces to Mix In:

• A great pair of trouser jeans in a dark wash (like these) for a more casual look, but the darker wash still looks pulled together

• Classic v-neck tees (white, black, gray) - Throw the blazer or cardigan on top and add the necklace or scarf for a complete look

*Pieces to add to your wardrobe first

Fall {Maternity} Shopping

My shopping trips always center around an outfit concept, and the beginning of fall combined with the necessities of a constantly changing size (this belly just keeps growing!) make for plenty of shopping excuses! This outfit includes pieces that I foresee lasting throughout the next few months and into post-pregnancy as well. A good pair of boots (in the perfect shade of gray) and a classic bag will never go out of style! I love the pop of color in the cardigan, and it pulls just enough color out of this muted tones in the snakeskin-patterned scarf. A combination of lower-cost items and wardrobe stables make this outfit the goal for my next shopping trip! May have to wait until those boots go on sale... a few of the other items are already discounted!

Croft & Barrow Slubbed Open-Front Cardigan (Magenta Purple) - Kohl's, $28.00
Maternity Pleated Ponte-Knit Dress - Old Navy, $34.94
Women's Fringed-Gauze Scarf (Charcoal Snake) - Old Navy, $14.95
Naturalizer Larissa Boots (Modern Grey) - Macy's, $125.10
Liz Claiborne Honey Shopper Bag (Midnight Blue) - JCPenny, $44.99

A pretty pendant necklace (long enough to show below the scarf) would be the perfect completer piece. I'm loving World Market for jewelry and accessories these days (not the mention the great furniture)!

Gold Leaf Pendant Necklace - World Market, $14.99

Adding a nice pair of opaque tights will transition this dress into colder weather for work or casual wear -- try a blazer to dress up for work, or top with a sweater or cardigan for a more casual style. Replace the dress with a black top and leggings (as shown on the model with the magenta cardigan), and the outfit becomes a perfect on-the-go casual look. And I don't even have to tell you how versatile the scarf is...

So what's on your shopping list these days?

Need an outfit for an upcoming event or just a fresh look for the new season? Let me help style it! I love putting together outfit "mood boards" and could create a customized look for you, just like the above! E-mail me with your style request/preferences and I'll send you a board within 3 days, including shopping recommendations, prices and links.

Are We People or Professionals?

Yesterday was a rough day at work. In general, I like my job and the challenges it presents for me to expand my business horizons and creative abilities, but a day like that makes me wonder if I have spent too much time and energy buying into the whole corporate game. Because it is a game, after all. The "professional" world is a built-up microcosm of the world we live in, often presenting us with false ultimatums and a substitute value system in place of what is truly important. Some days it's easy to buy into the hype; most days, I feel like we all take ourselves a bit too seriously.

But.... I also understand why this system is in place. We can't be best friends with everyone. We can't do "favors" for the whole world when we really should be engaging in transactions that will help people live their lives. Acting professionally in the business world is a version of etiquette and, without it, things just don't get done as efficiently. Yet sometimes the lines are drawn too thin. Does it really matter to Client X that I am 7 months pregnant and just trying to wrap my brain around how my life is going to change so significantly in just a few weeks, amidst maintaining all the other hustle and bustle that is my current life? Reality? No. Client X doesn't really give a damn (in the infamous words of Rhett Butler) -- he just wants his work done and his money made. Am I a person to Client X, with real emotions and day-to-day struggles? Certainly not. I'm a professional who has a job to do, a job which, for whatever reason, my client relies on.

So how are we to balance these two conflicting personas: the reality of a person with thoughts, emotions, struggles and beliefs, against what seems to become a daily facade of politically-correct professionalism in which feelings are bypassed, beliefs are disregarded and personal struggles are seen as an excuse? I don't have an easy answer. If I did, today wouldn't have been a rough day. But I think there is a reason I happened to pull up Spurgeon's Morning & Evening on my phone during the bus commute this morning to find such an applicable admonition from 2 Corinthians: "Be ye separate." 2 Corinthians 6:17

Spurgeon reminds us from Scripture, "The Christian, while in the world, is not to be of the world. He should be distinguished from it in the great object of his life. To him, "to live," should be "Christ." (Phil 1:21) Whether he eats, or drinks, or whatever he does, he should do all to God's glory." (1 Cor. 10:31) He reminds us to, "Walk worthy of your high calling and dignity." (Eph. 4:1)

These are apt reminders for me as I straddle the lines of "in" the world but not "of" it, although I still find it hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is very difficult to feel valued as a person and, much more, a child of God, when to many your identity is summed up by "professional" status, title, income or, of all things, e-mail response time. But this is not the great object of my life. At the end of the day, if I can remember that, all will be well. Because truly, my identity is wrapped up in the identity of One much greater, in whom victory is sure.

Romans 8:37 

 "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

 

Corinthians 2:14 

"But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere."

Fall Favorites

http://www.bartleby.com/122/13.html

Fall -- or Autumn in its more romanticized moments -- is one of my favorite seasons. Even though it is technically the beginning of the end, drawing the year to its chilly close and bringing with it all the joys of the holiday season, Fall always feels like a fresh start for me. This probably has more to do with memories of beginning a new school year than anticipation of the actual new year in January, but the feelings of excitement and newness are particularly poignant for me this year as we ready our lives to welcome a new little family member in December. We are getting more and more excited to meet this little guy and, in the meantime, trying to prepare as much as we can for the inevitable changes that await us!

As I'm nearing 7 months and the third trimester (28 weeks next Wednesday), I'm glad to say that the second trimester has treated me particularly well. All queasiness dissipated by 16/17 weeks and I can now eat pretty much anything that appealed to me pre-pregnancy. There was a period of time during which Mexican food (which I love) completely grossed me out, especially cilantro. But I'm (mostly) pleased to announce that I ate an entire plate of nachos (with lots of cilantro) the other day with no problems at all. Another development of the 2nd trimester is that I've begun drinking coffee again -- decaf, of course. Quitting coffee cold turkey during the first few months was not really a problem. I had been drinking half-caf coffee for about 6 months previous, so I never had any problems with caffeine headaches or withdrawal. Even the smell of coffee became unappealing, so I had no trouble dropping the habit.

But now, I'm back to my favorite ritual: a hot cup of joe in the morning really is how I like to start my day, although I still stick to just a single serving. Even though I know there's little to no caffeine in the decaf version, I feel like there's an extra pep in my step after just one mug. Must be the placebo effect.... And entering this new season means the return of all those wonderful Fall flavors, including pumpkin spice! I don't really need to be buying a latte from Starbucks every morning (even though it's conveniently located in the lobby of the building where I work), so I'm looking forward to trying this recipe for a homemade version of the same tasty flavor!

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Creamer

Ingredients:

1 cup milk (I've been drinking 2% lately)
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
4 Tbsp pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
4 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk, cream, pumpkin, maple syrup, and pumpkin spice. Heat over medium heat until it just begins to bubble around the edges. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and refrigerate before using.

http://www.whatmegansmaking.com/2012/09/homemade-pumpkin-spice-creamer.html

5 Years Later...

On Friday, we celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary with a fancy dinner at North Pond Restaurant. Beautiful location, lovely restaurant, delicious food. A worthy celebration of the 5 wonderful years of marriage we've spent together!

As we begin our 6th year together -- anticipating the birth of our first child -- I look forward to the many new experiences, challenges and joys we will share!