Friday Finds - Skinny Love

I've been on the hunt for a great, flattering pair of skinny jeans now for almost a year. I tried to avoid the trend for as long as possible, I was convinced it wasn't going to stick around plus...frankly....I'm a woman. I gots me some womanly curves and some not so super skinny thighs. To be honest, I was completely petrified of what trying skinny jeans on might do to my self esteem. I just envisioned gathering the nerve to take a pair into a dressing room and then having them get stuck with the waistband around my knees. Bikini season is bad enough thank-you-very-much. 

So....I'm almost afraid to say this in a public forum, but I'll do it anyway....I'm a dedicated shopper of the Target clothing department. I love that place. Granted...pretty much 100% of everything they sell there is made in China, but honestly, I don't make a lot of money, nor do I want to spend a lot of money on trends that are going to go out of style in a few months, but at the same time, I still want to look and feel hip and put together. I was strolling through the clothing department last week looking for black clothing to wear this weekend (long story involving a bachelorette party) and literally tripped over a pair of black, skinny jeans from Mossimo on the floor. 

I figured it was fate. That these jeans had literally been dropped in my path and so I had to try them on.

LOVE. So in love with these jeans. Bought them in black and in a dark wash with some silver studding. 

I wore them this weekend with both heels AND with flats and they were awesome both ways. The best part....they're $25. I'm. Not. Kidding. I'm so enamoured by these jeans, I might go back and buy the gray wash pair they have as well. 

The only thing missing now is the fall weather for me to wear the stitching out of these babies! But for now, I may have to suffer through the heat and wear them anyway!

Have a great weekend ya'll!!

Trend Tuesday - How to Sparkle

We really wanted to name this blog post "How to NOT sparkle like a Las Vegas Showgirl" but we really felt that was just too long a title....so we refrained.

Anyway....something we're seeing a lot of in magazines and in stores is an influx of glitz, not only for night, but for everyday wear too. The question becomes...like we wanted to name this post...how to add a little glitz to your glam without going to far? Here are a few suggestions we've come up with to answer that question...

Focus on soft neutrals. Pairing glitz with muted fabrics allows the "sparkle" to pop without being overwhelming. Think denim, soft greys, pinks, nudes, blues and greens. This also makes your "sparkle" more daytime appropriate.

Knits & Tees - Clothes - Anthropologie.com, $78

See by Chloe Low-rise skinny jeans, $74
Tough As Nails Flats, $145

We've professed out love of the denim jacket here and we think it totally fits here when you're trying to play down your glam a little bit. We're not really feeling the whole "bootie" as a shoe trend, but we gotta admit...it does look pretty darn good in this mix...

Adam Sequined tank Dress - theoutnet.com, $1,050
Women's AE Denim Jacket - American Eagle Outfitters, $16 
STEVEN by Steve Madden Women's Partey Open Toe Pump, $10

Think outside the box, but keep it simple. Work clothes can be sooooo booooring. Here's a simple way to take a basic white blouse and black skirt, and jazz it up a bit with some embellished, glitzy shoes. Still totally work appropriate...at least in our opinion...

MCQ BY ALEXANDER MCQUEEN QLI900191901 WHITE COTTON / ELASTANE E3131, $150
Skirts - Clothes - Anthropologie.com, $98
Jessica Simpson 'Lepolia' Flat, $79
Black Rhinestone Bangle Set - Teen Clothing by Wet Seal, $14

Every woman knows the importance of owning a little black dress....the problem is that, EVERY woman knows the importance of owning a little black dress. It's hard to find one that has that wow factor to differentiate itself (and you) from every other black dress wearing woman out there. Search for something a little extra next time you're looking to replace or add to your LBD collection...

GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI DESIGN E00131 BRONZE LEATHER 1857301, $770
Balmain Night Punk studded suede clutch, $2,710
14k Yellow Gold Bronze Crystal Ball Stud Earrings | Overstock.com, $40
Brazilia Beading Dress, $346.50

And sometimes, you know...all you need is a little bit of glitz and sparkle on your fingers, ears, or wrists to make getting out of bed every morning worthwhile!

Fossil Sparkling Turtle Ring - Size 7, $30

VINTAGE SPARKLING NECKLACE, $380

belle of the ball leverback dangle earrings, $95

kate spade 'queen bee' long station necklace, $145

Noir Metal Bracelet, $118

Juicy Couture - Coral Flower Studs (Gold) - Jewelry, $42

Melissa Vintage Rose Ring, $95

Happy Shopping!! 

Trend Tuesday - Denim Jackets

For a long time now, Monica has been a firm believer in the fashion power of the denim jacket! Dress it up, dress it down, no matter how you do it, a denim jacket is a classic staple accessory. We highly suggest that you have at least one, if not two in your wardrobe!!

You're probably wondering why we are even mentioning  jackets in the middle of summer. Currently it's a balmy 90 degrees in Tampa Bay and for most of us, the furthest thing on our minds are jackets! Well hear us out....while temps are skyrocketing outside, our favorite local restaurants, offices, and movie theatres are cranking down the air to keep us cool. Sometimes these places are downright frigid! So this is where our all time favorite accessory comes in! Keep it on hand to throw over any outfit. And since its denim it pretty much goes with everything from tank tops to maxi dresses.

It's also a perfect accessory to have on hand with so many of us traveling to escape the heat. FYI folks, San Fran evenings in the summer average 60 degrees, which for a lot of native Floridians is COLD! Even the mountains of North Carolina can drastically cool down in the evenings. So here are our suggestions on styles of denim jackets to tote around with you all summer long! The best part? They work in the fall and winter too!  

Nothing screams summer like the perfect white denim jacket. Do it right with this classic cropped Gap style...

Currently on sale at the Gap

We LOVE the rugged feel this ripped denim can add to a simple black dress!

From Vintage Havana

Julia Jones of one of summer's hottest movie, "Eclipse" wears an American classic Levi's denim jacket with a mini cocktail dress. What do we think about this?? Rock it girl! The jacket adds a little rock n roll edge...LOVE it!

Image from Denimology

Happy Summer Ladies!