The Perfect Holiday Outfit

Lately, I've been starting to panic thinking about what I'm going to wear to my family's annual Christmas Eve party.  I get so excited during the holidays because I have an excuse to dress up, but then I always end up not knowing what to wear!  For the past couple of years, I've thrown together an outfit last minute.  This year, however, I'm planning my outfit way ahead of time.

This holiday season, I've really been loving black, red, polka dots, and sparkles, so I've put together an outfit with all of the things I love.  But how could someone possibly incorporate all of those into one outfit without looking over the top? Here's how.

I absolutely love everything about this outfit.  I've been looking for the perfect red dress to wear this holiday season, and this French Connection Fit & Flare dress is pretty near perfect.  I chose the pieces for this outfit around this pair of polka dot tights.  They are from Swoon, my favorite boutique in North Carolina.  It's a little bit of a drive from my house, but definitely worth it.  Everything there is SO cute and so affordable.  These Target booties are a also a must-have. They go with every outfit and can dress up just about anything.  I've been on the hunt for the perfect sequin clutch lately, and I found this Zara-inspired sequin clutch on Etsy.  It's only 45 dollars and is absolutely perfect for this outfit.  It gives the outfit the playful, exciting touch it needs.  Finally, for the finishing touch, Essie's Toggle to the Top.    Wear all of these with some subtle gold jewelry and you're ready to turn heads at your next holiday party.

Thanks for reading!

Christmas Wish List

Hey, everyone!
It's been a while since my last post, but I'm back!

I thought I would fill y'all in on my latest additions to my Christmas wish list.  I haven't even asked for anything for Christmas yet, but if I had to choose, these items would definitely be at the top of my list:

This is a short list, but a little more pricey than normal.  First on my list, is the Michael Kors Large Hamilton Tote.  It's definitely big enough to fit everything I put in my purse, and it's a bag I would be able to use for a long time.  I asked for this bag for my birthday in October, so hopefully Santa will bring it to me!  Second on my list are Reece & Blaire bracelets.  They are so pretty! Adding a couple of these to my daily arm stack would look so amazing.  I really like the Whitley and the Charlotte.  Third, I would love to own a pair of over the knee black boots.  They would look so perfect with leggings and a sweater during the day, or even with jeans and a cute top at night.  I chose this pair from Nordstrom because they're on sale!  Next, I've had my eye on this Kate Spade gold glitter watch for quite some time.  I almost bought it for myself on my birthday but I talked myself out of it because I didn't think I would wear it.  The set comes with an interchangeable black band.  Now that the holiday season is here, I'm definitely wishing I had it.  Last, I absolutely love this Clare Vivier leopard print foldover clutch.  How could you pass this up?! This clutch would be the perfect accessory to any outfit.  It's a little more expensive than I'd hoped, but maybe an exception can be made for a Christmas present.

That's all I have for today! What do y'all want for Christmas?

Hair Color Envy- Honey Blonde

If any of you reading this know me at all, you know that I've had some serious hair troubles lately. For the past couple of years I've been a blonde, but last summer my blonde hair took a turn for the worst.  My hair must have been exposed to the sunlight too much, because I somehow became a bleach blonde and it was not pretty.

The following fall, I decided I wanted to gradually go back to my natural hair color, which is like a dark blonde/light brown color. I chose to do this by getting an ombre, which also ended up being a disaster.  I had to get my hair re-colored 3 times, which not only cost a ton of money but was torture for my hair.  At first, it wasn't noticeable enough.  Then I got it re-done more dramatic, and I just looked like I had terrible roots. After that, I went to a different hairstylist who made it a little more bearable.  After about four months with this look, I decided I wanted to just nix the ombre idea altogether.  However, when I went to get my hair returned back to normal, I still left with an ombre.

So now here I am, with hair that has an array of different colors and really no method to the madness.  It's sort of an ombre, sort of not.  But I know what I want to do now.

I absolutely LOVE the honey blonde hair color.  I think it's perfect for any season, it's natural looking, and is very feminine.  I'm getting my hair done next week, so let's hope that this time I actually leave looking how I'm supposed to look!

Lauren

Maxi Madness

I don't know about y'all, but I am in love with maxi dresses right now! They are the perfect clothing item for the summer-- they can be dressed up or down according to the occasion.  I saw a girl today wearing a gray maxi dress with a jean vest and she looked perfect for daytime! All she had to do was throw on a pair of wedges to complete her look for the night.
Since I'm a little obsessed with maxis lately, I thought I'd show some that I love right now.  Unfortunately, half of the dresses I love are too short for me, so I can't wear them.  Which sucks.  But I'm still on the hunt for the perfect maxi for me!

Aren't they so adorable?! I threw in the jean vest so you can see how cute it looks with literally every single dress.  Everything I posted is from Nordstrom (shocker) because so far Nordstrom is the only store that has dresses long enough for me.  Also, most of the dresses are under $100!

That's all I have for today!

Lauren

What's Hot at Nordstrom

Hey everyone!
Sorry it's been so long since my last post! I started my internship the first week of June and I have been too exhausted to do just about anything.  I really want to get in the habit of blogging more often, though, so let's hope I can stick with it!

I've only been interning at Nordstrom for almost three weeks now, but I love it.  I can already tell that Nordstrom is where I belong.  Everyone that works there is so kind and helpful!  Not to mention I'm already pretty knowledgeable on the product since I've shopped there since I was in middle school.
Spending every day surrounded by beautiful clothes, accessories, and shoes has been hard, though.  I already barely have any self control when it comes to shopping when I'm not in a department store for 8 hours a day! I haven't bought anything yet, but I've had my eye on quite a few things.

My favorite department at Nordstrom has actually just been re-vamped.  It's called Savvy, and it's super trendy but also at a good price point.  Everything is really fun and colorful!  There's also quite a few daring pieces that I've been wanting to try out.  I walk by that department every day wanting to buy it all.

Here's just a few things that I've had my eye on since I've started work:

The first six items are all form the Savvy department, and they're all under $100! The vest on the bottom is from the T.B.D. department.  You can't really tell in the picture, but the details are gorgeous and it has lots of studs. Super cute.  The satchel and the sunglasses case are both Rebecca Minkoff, and the sandal is Circus by Sam Edelman.  Since I work in the shoe department, I've been drooling over many pairs of shoes, but this is the one I really want so far.

That's all I have for y'all today! Enjoy!

Lauren

Fabulous Factory Finds!

When I wrote my last post, I was thinking about clothes for work and what I was going to wear for my internship.  Well, yesterday I paid a visit to the J Crew Factory Outlet and found some seriously fabulous items for my job.  Here's what I bought:

I highly recommend you check out the J Crew Factory Outlet as well.  There were so many other things I wanted to buy.  Their colored jeans were under 40 dollars, and you know colored jeans are a favorite of mine!

The Factory Outlet also had a ton of cute jewelry.  I didn't get to buy any, but I had my eye on these:

I had to use a lot of self discipline to not buy the first bracelet.  Such a good deal!


That's all for today!

Lauren

The Working Woman's Wardrobe

I'm back!

Since I didn't really give that much information about myself in my last post, I'll go more in-depth with this one.

As you know, I'm about to be a senior at USC.  I'm double majoring in Marketing and Management with a minor in Fashion Merchandising.  With the real world approaching quickly(unfortunately), I needed an internship for this summer to gain work experience.  The internship that I ended up getting is the internship of my dreams!

I'm going to be a Retail Management Intern at Nordstrom!  I couldn't believe it when I was told I got this job.  I absolutely love clothes (obviously) and I think Nordstrom offers the best customer service out there.  I can't wait to get started!

But one question has been lingering in the back of my mind since then.  I start my job in 10 days and I have no idea what I'm going to wear!  Of course, I have an ideal image in my head of the working woman's wardrobe, but unfortunately my closet doesn't have many of those items.

Here's what I see when I think of "The Working Woman's Wardrobe":

I seriously love this outfit.  It's so simple and classy.  It's perfect for summer, too.  All of these are from J Crew Factory and J Crew (except the Michael Kors watch).  I think J Crew is the best place to shop for more business-related clothes.  Everything is well-made and classy looking.  The skirt and the shirt are from factory and are actually really reasonably priced!  Looks like I'll have to go shopping soon.

Anyway, if I see any other good work wardrobe items I will make sure to post them.  Let me know if you find anything!

Lauren