How To Wear Ankle Booties

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I’ve loved the ankle bootie with no socks look for a while now.  Truth be told though, I wasn’t sure I could pull it off considering my age.  It may sound silly, but I tend to question the age appropriateness of my clothing choices as more and more time passes, since I never want to cross over that fine line of wearing a trend I’m too old for.  But alas, since style truly knows no age boundaries, I decided to give the bootie with no sock look a try after I came across a fabulous sale on these beauties, which can still be found here.

I figured I’d try them on at home, and if I could work them into several different outfits and feel comfortable in them, I’d keep them.  If not, I’d return them.  Shopping tip #1: Never buy shoes from a store with a limited return policy.  I don’t like policies that tell me I can’t change my mind on something.  I’ve been able to work them into a few different looks so I thought I’d share some ways to wear these cute booties (or some similar) and still feel very much age appropriate when wearing them.

Tip #1: Go for a more classic and pulled together look, versus the messy boho look that a lot of younger girls sport these booties with.  What does that mean?  Well, wear them with a pair of boyfriend jeans and a more tailored top or jacket, or even with a pretty dress (as seen here) for an unexpected take on the standard dress + heel look.

Tip #2: Don’t buy a pair that’s heavily distressed.  Some of the vintage looking ankle boots are really very “cool” looking, but try to go for more of a sophisticated cool look, rather than a grungy cool look.  That’s why I loved these particular pair so much.  They still looked very polished in the clean suede.

Tip #3: Wear some pretty accessories with your whole look.  This will just solidify the overall classic and pulled together feel versus the boho look.  Today I wore my over sized jade and gold Stella & Dot earrings and kept it simple with a bright pink lip and felt really good without a lot of effort.  The shoes really do add an instant “cool” factor to the outfit.  Does that make me sound old when I say that?  Probably huh?

This weekend I’m attempting the ankle bootie with jean shorts look.  Wish me luck 😉  Any fun plans for this 3 day weekend?



Sneak Peek & Winner

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I’ve gotta be honest with you all.  Today I’m feeling a little overwhelmed.  I’ll pull it together, but just had to get that out there and say it.  In my head I make lists and try to juggle everything around into small little neat compartments and it makes me think I can handle it all without a hitch, but sometimes it helps to just admit out loud that I am overwhelmed.  It convinces me that I can’t do it all and forces me to slow down a bit.  There… Yesterday my friend Amber came over and she gave me some much needed makeup advice and shared some great quick tips with me.  Here’s a sneak peak.  I’ll be sharing more on the blog next week! The winner of the sweet little elephant necklace is:

Congratulations Kiersten!  Please send me your contact information!

Wish me luck today guys.  I’m gonna need it…Be back tomorrow, hopefully in full swing.  I don’t know, we’ll see 😉



Daily Style – Red & Jaded

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Dress – ASOS Maternity; Shoes – Dolce Vita; Necklace – DIY by me; Earrings – Stella & Dot; Bangles & Watch – Kate Spade & Michael Kors

If you give a girl some beads, she’s going to want to make a necklace.  If she makes a necklace, she’s going to want to wear it.  If she wears it, she’s going to want to get dressed up. If she gets dressed up, she’s going to also want to put on makeup.  If she’s dressed up, wearing make up and wearing a fancy necklace she made herself, she’s going to want to do a photo shoot.  In the middle of the day.  If she does a photo shoot, she’s going to act silly and make funny poses.  She’ll also make her husband laugh and he’ll do a little flirting.  She’ll flirt back and she’ll make him smile.  They will have fun.

See how rewarding making a necklace for yourself can be?  Head on over to Making It Lovely’s site to get the full DIY tutorial.  Psst!  It’s easy, inexpensive and you can find the beads at Michael’s.  Say what?!  Yes, Michael’s.

P.S. I did use this opportunity to make sure this dress still fits and isn’t obscenely short now that I’m quite a bit bigger since the last time I wore it.  It does fit!  Now I know what I’ll be wearing to my friend’s birthday party this weekend, hooray!  So see, I killed multiple birds with one stone 😉  Happy hump day friends!

Side question btw, can someone who isn’t currently subscribed to my blog, try to subscribe via the RSS feed links on the right sidebar?  A couple of readers have said they are having trouble subscribing, and I can’t seem to find my feed anymore through Google Reader.  I would very much appreciate it!  Thanks in advance!  Linking up with WIWW



Ultimate Skin Survival Guide

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This is a sponsored post.  As part of the DailyBuzz Style Program, I received free Clear Tone Deodorant from Dove, however, my opinions are entirely my own.

This Spring more than ever, skin care is a top priority for me.  For the past 6 months I’ve been doing all I can to get my skin in the best possible shape, and now as we’re deep in the throes of Spring, and I’m about to enter my 3rd trimester of pregnancy, I’m even more dedicated to keeping my skin feeling and looking good, from top to bottom.  From research I’ve read, to advice I’ve received from friends and readers, I’ve switched up my normal skin care regimen and have added some new tricks to my existing routine, for results I’ve been quite happy with. Here’s a run down of what I’m doing right now to keep my healthy glow going, despite raging pregnancy hormones:

In the shower – I’ve stopped using my loofah.  I read somewhere that for women in their 30’s and 40’s, it can strip much needed moisture away from skin, and to use a baby soft wash cloth instead.  I can attest that after trying this for just a week or so, it does in fact work better.  It’s most noticeable on my arms, that tend to look dry and even a bit scaly after spending an hour in the sun.  Moisturizer is seeping in better and my skin does in fact feel softer.

Another important step to super soft and glowing legs, and I’ve done it for years, is use body wash as my shaving cream instead of the real thing.  For my skin it’s the best for controlling razor burn and getting the cleanest shave.  I’ve used Dove for years (right now I’m using the Pomegranate Lemon Verbena scent), and it’s the most gentle and moisturizing for my very dry skin.  Plus I save money by having to also purchase shaving cream.

Out of the shower – Moisturize right away, all over!  I am religious about this and in fact feel very uncomfortable if my dry skin doesn’t get a healthy dose of body lotion slathered on as soon as I dry off.  If I know I’m going to be out in the sun I’ve begun using a body lotion with SPF, and in fact always use it on my hands no matter what the weather.  You know that the first way to tell the age of a women is not by looking at her face, but by her hands too?  Tis true.  Keep those sun spots at bay and use SPF on your hands everyday ladies!

The Face – My face immediately gets a healthy dose of skin cream with SPF as well, and something new that I’ve begun doing is to apply a few drops of Vitamin D oil to my face as well.  It provides an added layer of moisture and helps to give my skin that dewy look when I put on my makeup.

The Makeup – During Spring and Summer I pretty much exclusively use a tinted moisturizer with SPF 20 or higher.  Tinted moisturizer is lighter and just feels better on my face when it’s warm out.  Plus I don’t have to worry about makeup stains or slides if I get splashed at the pool, which is an almost daily occurrence once school lets out.  If I’m going out and I have a bit of extra time to spend on my routine, I’ve been applying a makeup primer first before I apply tinted moisturizer or foundation.  The primer acts as a layer to help my makeup sit on top of my skin, rather than sink into fine lines. It’s really is a bit like magic.  The other day Art even said how it looked like I was wearing less makeup, even though I had applied an extra layer of primer.  For a man to notice, you know it works.  And it goes without saying that waterproof mascara is a must when the weather heats up!

Overall Skin Care – Some general tidbits of advice: I don’t think I even have to tell you, but since good advice is always worth repeating, drink loads and loads of water, even more as the weather heats up.  If you’re spending a lot of time in the pool or hot tub, rinse off soon after getting out and re-moisturize.  The chlorine and saline in pools will zap the moisture right out of your skin.  Wear fabrics that naturally breathe such as cottons, light weight silks, and linens, over synthetics like rayons and polyesters.  Fabrics that breathe better help to prevent wetness and leave you feeling fresher for longer periods of time.  And lastly, speaking of eliminating wetness, a good antiperspirant and deodorant is worth its weight in gold.  I recently received Dove’s new Clear Tone Deodorant, and it is quite honestly the best deodorant I’ve ever used.  It’s lightweight, completely clear so it doesn’t leave marks on my clothes (isn’t that the worst?!) and it smells wonderful, so it keeps me smelling great.  Actually it doesn’t really have much of a scent at all, which is what I like about it so much.  I’m really picky about my deodorant smelling too strong.

I love learning new tips about keeping my skin looking and feeling good, so if you have any favorites routines, please share them.



Daily Style – A Good Dress

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Dress – Forever 21 in the Love 21 section, mentioned in this post; Shoes – Dolce Vita; Necklace – c/o Lisa Leonard Designs; Watch – Michele

This weekend was a whirlwind of celebrations and birthdays, and I wore this dress to every single one of those events.  The value of a good dress can never be underestimated, and a good dress doesn’t have to cost a fortune.  I had been looking for this flowy type of silhouette because I knew it would work well with my maternity figure right now, but I never dreamed I would find it at Forever 21 for $29.  If you haven’t had a chance to read my post from Friday, I shared 5 tips for shopping Forever 21 as a grown woman.

This dress is a great example of what can be unearthed at Forever 21 if you look in the right places.  .  Great fabrication, easy silhouette, forgiving fit and a unique print.  I’ll be wearing this dress for many weeks to come, until my growing belly tells me to stop.  And my little Lisa Leonard necklace is something else I’ll be wearing non stop.  I’ve always wanted a name plate necklace and after 7years of being a mother I finally have one!  I’m finally part of the club 😉  Hoping everyone had a wonderful weekend.  It was a fun one, but I’m exhausted and quite honestly, am looking forward to the 4 hour break today while my son’s at preschool.  Linking up with Monday Mingle & WIWW



How To Shop Forever 21…As a Grown Woman

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I’m not a devout Forever 21 shopper, and really only venture into our behemoth of a store every couple of months, if for anything to check out the trends, as interpreted for 21 year olds.  Inevitably though, I always find a thing or two I want to take home with me, and I’m able to overall make it as short and painless of a process as it can be.  The music is played much too loud to keep me wandering the store for an hour.  Here’s a few tips I can share with you about how I navigate my way through the jungle that is Forever 21, quickly, and without regrets or buyer’s remorse.  And excuse the iPhone pics.  As you can imagine I was trying to be incognito while taking pics.  Tip #1 – By far the most valuable bit of advice I can offer you all is, skip the entire entry-way of the store.  Just walk right through it and move on because chances are, you will never find a thing you would want, or feel comfortable wearing in there.  The most on-trend, flashiest pieces are always displayed front and center to attract the attention of the teens and twenty year olds passing by, and leer them in.  As grown women, we want to be on-trend, but we want to find a more subtle, sophisticated way to do that.  So move on. Tip #2 – Discover Love 21.  Not all stores are large enough to have an entire section devoted to Love 21, but there is an entire shop on their website where you can browse and check out what this division has to offer.  Love 21 is a contemporary line still focused on trends, but with more attention to detail, trims, fabrics and overall a more sophisticated feel.  What do I mean?  Well color blocking will be less severe, pops of neon go back to neutrals as opposed to being mixed in loud, wild prints.  The fabrics are a little less cheap looking.  The majority of what I buy at Forever 21 comes from this section.  The fit is also a bit more generous and true to women’s sizing as opposed to the typical junior sizing found in the rest of the store.  If you only have 15 minutes to spare, this is where you should devote your time.

Now that we’ve covered where to avoid, and where to focus, let’s talk a bit about overall items to look out for, both to avoid and embrace. Tip #3 – Don’t be afraid to play with color, and in fact Forever 21 is perfect for experimenting with the new color of the season that you’re just not sure about.  You love mint or coral on other women, but not sure how it’s going to look on you?  This is where you can feel a little less guilty about trying something new.  If you discover you hate the color on you after wearing it, you’re not going to feel doubly guilty that you just dropped $80 on a top you’ll never wear again. Tip #4 – Fabrication is key!  Clothes at Forever 21 are cheap, so it should go without saying that you’re going to get what you pay for and you can’t expect to walk in and find the highest quality fabrics and the best construction.  Knowing this, there are a few fabrications I tend to shy away from at all costs because they wind up looking especially cheap after 1 wash.  Cotton knits and brushed cottons, like the top pictured above, will fade and wrinkle almost immediately, and wrinkle so badly you’ll never be able to iron them out.  Cotton tops like the one above are especially lifeless and have no substance to stand up on their own, so they end up just sort of swathed over your body instead of being structured and fitted to you.  Knits, whether it be in a lycra knit top or a knitted sweater will pill ridiculously fast and hold no shape after one wear.  You want to get a bargain, but you don’t want to look like you’re wearing a bargain.

Fabrics that I have decent luck with are a lot of the synthetics; rayons, poly chiffon blends, especially in cute printed skirts, poly silk blends, and just about anything along those lines Tip #4 – Be careful buying into the prints.  Oh does Forever 21 love to go crazy with the prints.  Aztec, tribal, floral, polka dots, you name it, Forever 21 does it, and does it bold.  Honestly I much prefer an on-trend print from someplace like Target or Old Navy because they do prints in a more approachable, and even more sophisticated way (my tribal shorts from Target are much more subtle than the crap you’ll find at F21).  So be wary and just play it safe.  Prints are so much a matter of personal preference I don’t know how to navigate you through finding the prints that are right for you, but the main thing I can say is stray away from the pact.  Find the unique, one of a kind print in the store and go for that.  The tie dye dress below was in the coolest silhouette, exactly what I’ve been looking for, and the print reminds me of something Calypso would do.  The cute animal tops didn’t fit, but are a fun way to incorporate a novelty print into your wardrobe without feeling like you’re trying too hard, and totally mom appropriate.  Tip #5 – My final tip for you all is that if Forever 21’s interpretation of a trend is exactly as you remember it the first time around, then move on!  You’re older and wiser and know that you’re supposed to learn from your mistakes, not repeat them (my friend Jules said this in response to the recent huge bow-in-hair trend that’s resurfacing).  Let the dumb young girls walk around with the neon shredded cropped tee and saran-wrap tight skirt.  You know that this time around, neon can be more sophisticated, and actually look quite pretty.  And remember that with band tees, theoretically you sport the band that isn’t really from your era.  If you look like you did in fact listen to Kid N Play on your cassette tape in 8th grade, then that isn’t the band tee for you.  Perhaps get it for your 7 year old to reminisce about the good ol’ days.   Shopping at Forever 21 can be a fun and for the most part, guilt free, way to achieve some retail therapy.  But often times it can be overwhelming and you walk away with stuff that falls apart or you feel silly wearing.  Hopefully these tips will help you better navigate your way through the shopping experience (both in-store and online), and leave you with some fun, on-trend items you feel completely appropriate and good about wearing.   Let me know if you have any other tips or questions!  Thanks as always for reading and listening to me babble on about clothes!



Daily Style – Evening Rides & A Giveaway

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(Top – Bloomingdale’s; Selby Skirt – StyleMint borrowed from a friend for a trial run; Shoes – Mod Cloth; Bracelets – DIY by me; Neon Clutch – Rags to Stitches; Necklace – Novica and I’m giving it away!)

I sort of don’t know what I’m doing anymore when I get dressed each day.  That makes me sound silly or careless, but really in a way it’s true.  Each day I pick the bottom half of my outfit, and then experiment from there.  I’m trying to mix textures and patterns and colors a bit so I don’t bore myself to death.  Nothing too outlandish, but just enough to have fun because that’s what getting dressed should be, FUN (especially when pregnant for goodness sake).  By the way, I’m not sure biking is the safest thing I could do.  I haven’t fallen off a bike since I was fourteen years old, but knowing my clumsy luck I may break that streak now, and that would be terrible.  So I think going forward, my riding days are over for a bit.

Styling Tip: Espadrilles are back and there are so many colorful and affordable options out there.  Look for a pair that’s comfortable and breathable (some fabric on espadrilles can get a little thick) so you can wear them all summer long without your feet getting too hot and sticky 🙂

Pregnancy Styling Tip: To avoid a rut, mix textures, patterns and colors.  I find that you’re a lot more forgiving of yourself when pregnant, so now’s the time to mix things up a bit and try something new.  My non pregnant self would have probably just worn this skirt with a solid tank, but my pregnant self is forcing me to try new things and I’m liking it quite a lot!

Check it out!  My husband helped me with my first gif!  Hooray!!Linking up with The Pleated Poppy for WIWW Notice this lovely sterling silver necklace, handmade in Thailand, that I’m wearing?  I’m giving it away to one of you.  I was allowed to select a special item from their site, courtesy of Novica, and this is what I chose.  I love it and can’t wait to see it go to a good home.  I think you’ll love it too.  It comes with a hand written note from the artist that created it, Jantana. Please visit their site when you have a chance.  Their selection of handmade goods from around the world is incredible.

The mission of Novica is amazing: “We want to give artists and artisans around the world a global platform to express their true artistic talents and to spur their creativity.  At the deepest essence of our philosophy, we want to create a bridge between you and the many talented artisans across the globe.  We want you to know about who you’re buying from. We want you to feel that attachment to the product and to the hands that created it.”

To enter, just leave a comment telling me your favorite thing to do when the weather warms up.  Follow For the Love Of via Bloglovin or RSS feeds for an additional entry, and like For the Love Of on Facebook for a third entry.  3 chances to win, please leave a comment for each entry.  Giveaway closes on Saturday May 19th 11:59 PM PST.  Winner announced on Sunday. 



DIY Gold Bar Bracelet

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Over Mother’s Day weekend, I got exactly what I wished for, some time to sit and organize some of my jewelry making supplies, and time to create a few new pieces.  I actually made some gifts for friends and family, and when I was through, I made myself a simple little gold bar bracelet that I’ve worn since Saturday.  It’s the perfect, dainty size to wear on it’s own or on my left hand with my watch and goes with just about every outfit I could imagine.  In case you’re interested in making your own, here’s the how to and what you’ll need to get started. All supplies can be found at a jewelry supply store or even Michael’s Begin by measuring out your chain to the desired length you would like it, then cut two identical size pieces with your wire cutters.  Then grab a piece of your beading wire (mine was 25 gauge), and cut a piece about 2 inches long and bend in half like so. Loop one end of the wire through one end of the chain, and then feed the wire through your spacer and out the other side.  Once fed through, loop your other length of chain through the wire as well, and twist the wire shut very gently and cleanly with your jewelry pliers.  Trim the loose ends.  You want this piece to look nice and neat, so if you just twist a few times and trim very close to the end, it will blend in seamlessly with your chain.  A jewelry maker may have a different way to do this step, but this is what worked for me and the tools I had on hand 🙂 Now that your chain is attached to both ends, you want to add your jump rings and closure to either end to complete your bracelet.  Gently pry open your jump ring (tip: use 2 sets of needle nose pliers, one for each hand, and pry each end open so that you don’t misshape your jump ring.  When ready to close, gently close the jump ring together to complete your perfect circle again). And it doesn’t get much easier than that.  You now have a very sweet and simple little accessory to throw on when you don’t know what or how to accessorize an outfit, a common problem with me 😉 Good luck and let me know if you give it a try!



Daily Style – 24 Weeks

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(Skirt worn as Dress – Trouve from Nordstrom; Belt – Gap; Bracelets – DIY by me tutorial coming up tomorrow; Necklace – Juicy Couture)

As of 24 weeks, I’ve yet to crack a baby book open, and probably won’t, don’t have a whole lot of options of what we’re going to name this child, I’ve eaten hot dogs and cold cuts and soft cheeses galore, and I’m overall the most relaxed this time more than I’ve been with the previous two.  Third times a charm I guess?  I also grin uncontrollably when I feel this baby kick around.  I remember feeling phantom kicks for a couple of months after giving birth both times before.  Anyone else felt those too?

At 24 weeks I’m also still in the comfort zone of feeling good enough, and overall still small enough to try something new with items in my closet.  This dress is actually a skirt, last seen here.  Because the waist was a little big to begin with, it fit around my bust line just perfectly.  It also somehow managed to fall perfectly so it was high in the front and low in the back, meaning I inadvertently am on trend with this little switcheroo.  How’s that for coincidental?  But I’ve got to tell you something, I thought I looked cute all day.  Then I come home and do the side by side comparison of then vs. now, and I’m all “What the hell?  It looks way better as a skirt!”  I don’t think I’ll be doing any switcheroos going forward.  So yeah.  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and a nice Mother’s Day, either celebrating yourself or a special mother in your life.  Linking up with WIWW



Happy Mother’s Day

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(wrapping Mother’s Day gifts and making my own cards this year using my new Sakura glue pen – greeting cards are expensive!)

This week has flown by and looking back, it’s overall been a great one.  We celebrated my Mom’s birthday on Sunday, Monday I crafted most of the day, finishing up my post for Nicole at Making It Lovely, Tuesday I went air plant shopping and Syd and I met my husband for lunch.  Wednesday we had our IEP meeting with the school board to check on my son’s progress for the year in Speech Therapy (he’s at a 80%-90% intelligibility rate for conversation hooray!).  Thursday the sitter came over for a glorious 2 hours and I took a 2nd trimester nap!  Later we watched my daughter “bridge into Brownies”, the very official ceremony where they go from being a Daisy to a Brownie.

It’s amazing what we moms, and just women in general,  manage to fit into a week, and still hold it together (not that our burly other halves don’t carry a heavy load).  When I first became a mom I had so many ideas of what kind of mom I wanted to be.  In the beginning there was the stage where I wanted to be the well informed mom on everything.  So I read and I read till my eyes almost popped out.  Sure I gained a lot of valuable knowledge about healthy sleep habits and baby sign language, but I also almost drove myself crazy.  Then there was the stage where I wanted to be the present mom, so I tried to figure out ways I could sit there with my kids and hang on their every word and play dolls and dinos with them for hours without checking my email or doing any housework so that I could remember every bit of their lives.  I quickly learned my brain doesn’t work that way, in any capacity.  In the last year, I went through a period where I really wanted to be that uber patient mom who sits there calmly and nods while my child throws a fit about not getting a juicebox in their lunch, “Yes, honey, I hear that you’re upset about not having a juice box.  How can I fix that for you?”

But most recently, I think since being pregnant with my third, I’m starting to realize that the most important person I could be to my kids is me.  Perfectly flawed, exceptional me.  The mom that can multi-task and remember most things in her head, cook a mean batch of enchiladas, and craft up a freaking storm, but also looks at her phone a few too many times, and loses her cool a few too many times more.  Sure I can always strive to be better, do better, and that’s what is so amazing about having a spouse and/or being a mom, they make you want to be better.  But only a better version of me, not the woman/mom/wife I think I’m supposed to be.

Surely this has got to be one of the benefits that comes with aging, right?  The ability to see things a little clearer, maybe feel a tad bit wiser?  I sure as hell hope so because there’s gotta be some pay off for crows feet.

Wishing you all a very lovely weekend.  Happy Mother’s Day to all the mommas out there.  And if you’re not a momma, may you enjoy your day nonetheless.

If you’d like to see the perfect Mother’s Day gift I created for myself above, please visit Making It Lovely.  If you’re still in need of a Mother’s Day gift for the special woman in your life, you have time to put this box together.  The picture at the way top is me having fun playing with the Sakura glue pen I recently acquired.  One of the best little crafting inventions I’ve ever come across!  Simply write or draw (the glue comes out blue so you can see your trail), and the sprinkle on some glitter.  Amazing!  Make cards, custom wrapping paper, gift tags.  Go crazy! I know I am 😉  Have a great one guys!   Any one asking for a style related gift for Mother’s Day?  I received the Marc by Marc Jacobs bag in the mail this week and I’m sending it back.  I like it, but don’t love it.  If I’m going to spend that much on a bag I have to love it so much I want to make out with it.