Be Bold or Italic, NEVER Regular

Too scared to wear colored denim? 

Don't know how to arrange bold pieces? 

How do you style bright denim the right way? 

The answer is incredibly simple. There is no right way. Colored denim allows endless possibilities which makes it very easy for YOU (the one putting together an outfit). I created a chart below to show some of the different ways to style an outfit based around colored denim. Remember, there's no wrong way to dress yourself... style is your particular preference.  There is no concrete answer to how your supposed to dress yourself--it is not an algebra problem that only has one solution.  There are endless solutions. 

Do you have all the pieces and you just don't know how to put them together? Here are some examples of how to dress similarly to celebrities without paying similar prices. 

Enjoy! 

I also designed a How to Dress Like Shenae Grimes diagram (shown below). This 90210 star's superb fashion sense does not go unnoticed. I quite often find myself rushing through the scenes in high anticipation of what her next outfit choice will be. She always seems to amaze me. 

Hope you enjoyed some style tips on this frigid Monday! 

Naked Dogs are the Worst

Why yes, Jules did consent to me writing a post about her no need to worry.

It wasn’t until Hurricane Sandy (having no power and no connection with the outside world) that I really noticed my persuasion of fashion on my poor Yorkshire Terrior, Jules.  At the age of ten, she has more to her wardrobe than most babies you know probably do. You would never know how much stuff she has because my mother has it all kept in a very small plastic bin in our front closet (there is no reason to be ashamed).  There is stuff hidden in it that she hasn’t worn since her toddler years (not exactly sure what that age range is, but we’ll go with it).  Not only does she have a variety of tee-shirts, she has costumes as well… to go with the different holidays.

My sister lives in New York, and is VERY fortunate to receive multiple pictures of Jules everyday, because she is obviously the cutest dog alive.  Also, to let her know that I am Jules’ favorite. Yesterday I sent her a picture of Jules laying on the couch, and her response to me was “Is it weird that when the dog is not wearing some sort of shirt or jacket, she looks naked to me now?” No Lindsay, it is not weird. Want to know why? Because Jules likes getting dressed. She has no fat on her body, therefore, she gets cold quite often. So DUH… clothing helps her to keep warm, for all of you that think it’s inappropriate and foolish. Would you put your baby outside with no clothes on in the winter? No. 

Now I will share with you a portion of her wardrobe. And yes, I said portion. 

1. Jules Wants Candy (no not chocolate, I am not trying to murder my dog-Treats)  

When you don’t have a little kid to dress up, Trick or Treatin is no fun anymore… unless you have a puppy you can show off. Jules has been many different things over the years, but here are some of her costumes that I happened to stumble upon recently.

 From left to right: banana, elephant, skeleton

2. Jules Wants to Spread Christmas Cheer By Singing Loud For All to Hear

When everyone else has their best holiday outfits on, Jules wants to look her best as well. That’s why she has an assortment of Christmas shirts. She also has a red velvet collar with bells but that happens to be packed away with the rest of our Christmas decorations. 

 But it doesn't stop there... she even has a reindeer costume

3. Jules Doesn't Want to Be an IcIcle or a Drowned Rat

She needs a winter coat for when it gets cold out so she doesn’t come in frozen to death and shivering. In addition, she has a raincoat to prevent her from getting soaking wet!

Let me tell you, this dog is quite the princess. She will not step off the rug by the door unless my mother wipes her paws when she comes inside. Hello, how do I get someone to do that for me? Guess I am not as cute.

Maybe that’s where these boots come in handy. They cover her feet from wetness without requiring my mother to do any work. However, they are a big pain to get on… and stay on. We don’t use them very often, heck, I even forgot we had them. I GUESS these are a little unnecessary.  Although, they did serve a purpose when she had to get stitches on her foot (poor little cripple).

4. Jules Follows the Shirt Before the Shirt Rule

You can never have enough graphic tee's. Hence why Jules has so many. 

Her Thanksgiving shirt cracks me up the most. 
Dogs aren’t even supposed to eat Turkey, they can't digest it. 

She's my little good luck charm when it comes to the PATRIOTS. She's their number one cheerleader! Well, okay, maybe not. She does tend to doze off every once in a while. Cant blame her, she's seventy years old. My papa does the same thing... 

Every dog also needs a Ralph Lauren collared shirt, right? They enjoy designer fashion as much as we do. Hence why she has to have a stylish POLO she can put on (especially when trying to impress company).

5. Jules Enjoys Layering (I told you she was a fashionista)

Since my parents rarely put on the heat, and repeatedly tell me to put more clothes on (when I happen to already be wearing two sweatshirts, sweatpants, socks, and a hat) Jules needs an assortment of sweaters. She does need them, trust me—they don’t believe in heat here at 23 Sycamore.  

6. Jules Likes To Snuggle

This is just for the comedy of it, but she even has a SNUGGIE. It was given to her as a joke gift, but she honestly fights me to wear it over anything else... no lie. She has joined the Snuggie cult. Yikes.

Trendiest dog on the block right here!

MK (Michael Kors)= My Keeper

Have you ever wondered how to get designer fashion for less? Much less? Marshall’s and TJ MAXX have the answers. It all becomes possible through what we call off-price retailing.  

Somehow twenty minutes of my interview the other day was devoted to discussing Marshalls and how the company is able to sell high-end brands for much cheaper than department stores. It allowed me to take note that most people have a strong misconception about these corporate businesses (I know I did when I first started shopping there). People who are unfamiliar with TJX Companies and off-price retailing tend to think that the merchandise is sewn defectively, the fabric is distorted, or something of the sort. That is NOT the case (I will get into that a little later). 

Department stores count on their buyers to purchase seasonal inventory; buyers are to predict what the upcoming season’s hottest trends will be and purchase as much stock as they believe necessary. However, a majority of the time, these buyers purchase too much and end up having a large bulk of past-season inventory.  This then raises the question of where they are supposed to store all of the new merchandise, when they have so much old inventory. That’s where TJX Companies steps in. TJX knows how to be in the right place at exactly the right time. They buy the merchandise that department stores have sent back. This gives customers the opportunity to buy this high-end merchandise without the high price.

A majority of the things a customer finds at Marshalls and TJ MAXX are the EXACT products being sold somewhere else (as I am going to show you in the latter part of the post).

There are other cases in which products can end up at Marshalls and TJ MAXX as well. For example, if a designer for a high-end brand requests dark blue buttons for their upcoming jacket and the finished products have light blue ones, it is not going to meet the expectations of the designer. This gives Marshalls and TJ MAXX the opportunity to buy the merchandise that did not meet the standards of the designer (instead of throwing away all of the imperfect creations).  The price tag used on this merchandise will clearly be labeled “IRREGULAR,” not because it is deformed, but because it is not made exactly how the designer envisioned it. In addition, if the item is something from a past-season, the price tag will clearly be labeled "Past-Season" so the customer is aware.

Now I am going to share with you some great deals that I have recently found at Marshalls and TJ MAXX.

TAHARI Dress Pants 

Retail price: $178  

Marshalls price: $10 

BELLA COLORE Mineral Eye Shadow

Retail price: $96  

Marshalls price: $16.99

#1 New York Times and International Best Seller 

Retail price: $10.99

Marshalls price: $7.99

CASWELL MASSEY Cucumber Eye Pads 

Retail price: $12  

Marshalls price: $3

PATRIOTS Dog Jersey 

Retail price: $29.99  

Marshalls price: $14.99

ESSIE Nailpolish 

Retail price: $8  

TJ MAXX price: $3.99

 N.Y.L.A Sneaker Wedges 

Retail price: $69  

TJ MAXX price: $34.99

They say you always remember your first love... so I thank god everyday for Michael Kors. I was so pleased to score the next two finds. Marshalls and TJ MAXX make it possible for middle class individuals to own designer brands without having to pay the high price.  

MICHAEL KORS Dress 

Retail price: $120  

Marshalls price: $49.99

MICHAEL KORS iPhone Case 

Retail price: $79.95  

TJ MAXX price: $39.99

I have found that anytime I go into Marshalls or TJMAXX for something specific, I end up filling a carriage of things I had no intention of buying. Impulse buying is HUGE at stores like these because there seems to be something for everyone!

What have you found lately at either one of these stores??  

The Most Stylish Wine On The Block

When my girl friends came for my graduation party over the summer, I was ecstatic at what they brought me.  Boxed wine… wait for it… shaped like a PURSE. What more could a fashionista possibly need? Okay, okay I sound like an alcoholic, but I loved that purse... or wine... or combination of both.  Who knew making a regular shaped box a bit more trapezoidal could create so much COMEAUTION and style... 

See for yourself

Now doesn’t that make you want one??

I brought that purse with me to Umass Amherst to show it off to my other friends who had not seen such a thing. I slung it over my shoulder like a regular handbag; walking into the party I felt like the coolest gal in the room. Nobody else was going to have wine that reflected so much style.

After finishing the wine, I realized how marketable this new packaging really was. I’m young, and just graduated college, so I am not as negative about boxed wine as most adults are these days. Boxed wine has a reputation for being cheap and distasteful. However, the new fashion-forward box has made it much more chic. With wine such as Vernissage’s “bag-in-a-bag” as well as Volere’s wine purse, women will not feel as uneasy about bringing a box of wine to someone’s house! This new design will hopefully allow companies to bring a sense of classiness to boxed wine.  

So far, the handbag wine comes in Pinot Grigio, Merlot, and Rose. The different flavors have different color packaging--as seen below.

What are your thoughts on the new marketing strategy?? Do you think the new wine handbag is here to stay??

New Career: Professional Mod Podger

How I made Grammy's old magazine rack come alive again!

MATERIALS 

• Screwdriver
• Sandpaper
• Scissors
• Sponge brush
• Mod Podge
• Scrapbooking paper
• Spray paint
• Polyurethane

First I took my screwdriver and unscrewed all the pieces.

After taking all the screws out, I took the two ends off. 

Then, I took my piece of sandpaper and scratched up the wood a bit to make it easier for the paper to stick to.

At first I had envisioned using pieces of fabric to cover the rack, but after speaking to a woman in Jo-Ann Fabric, I decided against it. She told me that fabric has a hard time sticking to wood without rising and bubbling. So, instead I used scrapbooking paper.  Other than the fact that paper tends to stick better than fabric, it's also less expensive and has a larger variety.

Then, I decided to go to Michaels craft store. They have more paper options in comparison to Jo-Ann Fabric. I went slightly overboard with multiple different patterns, however, you can choose as few as you wish.

These are some of the patterns I used...

I cut the papers into different shapes and sizes and prepared them to be glued on the board (with the Mod Podge).

I took my sponge brush and covered the back of each paper and placed it where I wanted it on the board. Once it was stuck where I wanted it, I covered the front with Mod Podge as well.  

Don’t be afraid to overlap! Mod Podging is very similar to collaging!

I repeated the Mod Podging steps for all the portions I wanted covered.

Then, I decided to spray paint the body of the rack. I spray painted the wood with a white spray first so it would have a nice base coat. Then, I spray painted it purple to match most of the Mod Podge patterns I had chosen.  

The next day, after I finished Mod Podging, I went to Home Depot to get new screws for the rack.  They have quite a variety of screws to choose from at an affordable price.  The original screws were rusty and worn out, so I decided to get new ones for even more shine! 

Next, I took my screwdriver and positioned the new screws in replace of the old ones. 

What a difference!!

Lastly, I sprayed the final product with Polyurethane to ensure that everything would stick together nicely and provide it with an outer gloss.

I am mesmerized by what the new piece looks like in comparison to the old one! 

BEFORE

AFTER

Birds-eye-view

Close-ups!

Full image

And there ya go! Grammy's old magazine rack is now incredibly stylin' and brings a smile to my face whenever I walk in the room! :)

Is there something old and worn out in your room that could be amazingly transformed with a little bit of Mod Podge?? 

My name is Erica, and I'm a Marshinista

Def: 

n. a fashionista and compulsive buyer of Marshalls merchandise 

I attended the Fabulous Found Fashion Tour in Boston yesterday. For those of you who have never heard of it, it was one of the stops on Marshall’s six-city tour in the U.S.  The purpose of the tour is to showcase great designer fashion that customers can purchase at a Marshalls location at a much lower price than at a department store. The event included a fashion show, a virtual dressing room, and a game called “Name that Price.”  

                   

The Virtual Dressing Room was a unique way to display fabulous finds and great savings at Marshalls.  The user gets to select a top, bottoms, a dress, a pair of shoes, and either a hat or a handbag.  At the end, the screen displays how much money was saved on each item in comparison to at a department store, as well as the overall amount of savings.  They awarded everyone who participated in the Virtual Dressing Room with a five-dollar gift card for posting their picture on either Twitter or Facebook. 

Now you can all laugh at my virtual outfit!! 

I saved $218!! Designer brands, for MUCH less.

“Name That Price” was a game they offered the crowd to participate in...it was very interactive and exciting!  They picked different merchandise (shoes, handbags, wallets, sunglasses, etc) and displayed them on a table with a label including only the designer and the retail price.  Whoever was closest to guessing the Marshall’s price for the particular item won a prize. I was lucky enough to win this FABULOUS Michael Kors wallet. Guess working for the company is a giant plus!

(if you're wondering... the correct price was $39.99!)

The last and most exciting part of the event was the Fashion Show!  They had eight different looks made up of all Marshalls merchandise.

From the Fashion show, I was able to learn several different on trend items for the season!

1. “Fifty Shades of Purple”

           

Purple is HUGE this season—all different shades of it. This season mixing purples such as eggplant, burgundy, mauve, plum, and violet are all very on trend!

The model is wearing 4 different shades of purple in one outfit!

2. Animal Prints

We have been seeing animal print a lot in previous seasons, but this season is all about SNAKESKIN. Whether it’s a clutch, a pair of paints, a blouse, a skirt, a pair of shoes, whatever it may be… this print is currently very trendy.

 The model is wearing a snakeskin pencil skirt.

3. Life in Technicolor

Neon/Bright colors are very in right now.  However, if you don’t think you can pull off a pair of neon pants or a florescent shirt, try colorful accessories or shoes!  Dress up a plain outfit with a splash of color by wearing neon earrings or brightly colored pumps! There’s no such thing as black and white this season, have fun with it! Life is art, live yours in COLOR!

Model is wearing bright yellow pants.

4. Dare to Jean

Jean-on-Jean is very stylish right now! Washed out denim shirts and a pair of darker designer jeans make the perfect outfit day or night. Amy Levin, founder of College Fashinista and one of the hosts at the event, wore a button-up denim shirt, dark denim jeans, and a white shirt underneath. The whole "You're-not-allowed-to-wear-white-after-Labor-Day-and-I'm-90-years-old" saying doesn't exist anymore--well atleast not this season... "Winter White" is currently happening.  To knock the outfit out of the park she added some watermelon florescent pumps (as mentioned in number 3).

5. That’s so CLUTCH

Large, flat, colorful, and textured clutches are a must have this season! It’s the perfect way to complete an outfit! Accessories are KEY statement pieces... and the clutches this season do NOT disappoint!

The model is holding a flat & textured clutch.

After attending this event, I could not help but buy these things at work the following day!

Denim button-up 

Marshalls Price= $16.99

 An everyday "Winter White" blouse

Marshalls Price= $14.99

Snakeskin pants 

Marshalls Price= $19.99

 Never pay full price for fabulous!!