Fall Style Inspiration | Casual Weekend Wear

When you live in a state that has weather as temperamental as North Carolina, you can't tell what the weather will feel like from one moment to the next! One day it will feel like spring has made its landing, slight breeze and sunny skies covering everything. The next day, however, will feel like late fall vibes with a wind chill creeping up on you like an uninvited guest. This means you and your style must be prepared for either of these extremes.

This week has been our introduction to cold weather this fall. The winds have been disrespectful, the temps have been in the 40s, and the rainshowers have been showing up and out. And according to weather reports, we are in for some chilly winds this weekend. On weekends like this, it's ideal to  dress cool, comfortably, and preferably in layers just in case. And to me, nothing says cool and comfortable in the fall quite like a plaid button-up, a trendy jacket, and booties.

Summer Style Must-Have: Tidewater Sandals

As much as I love sneakers and my beloved heels, neither of them compare to a cute, comfortable pair of flip-flops. They are the unsung hero of my wardrobe, as they hold me down all through the warmer seasons. When I'm running around with the kids, while I'm making that quick grocery run, and when everything else seems to fail my poor, aching soles, my flip-flops are always there. Even if they're not on my feet, they're in the trunk or in my bag, ready to go! Anybody who has danced the night away in 6-inch heels (I'm somebody's club or otherwise) can appreciate my honesty here.

So as the days grow closer to the times we will spend strolling the beach, visiting water parks, and enjoying the good outdoors, I thought I would share my current favorite pair of flip-flops from Tidewater Sandals with you guys.

Memoirs of a Fashionista | Keyva of My Life as "Keyva Jo"

Happy First of the Month, ladies! It's been so much fun interviewing ladies for the  Memoirs of a Fashionista feature and I hope you all have been enjoying them! I've learned a lot from the fellow fashionistas I've featured so far and am excited to continue sharing them throughout the next season. If this is your first time checking out the series, the mission of the "Memoirs of a Fashionista" series is to highlight stylish women I admire while allowing them to share the love of fashion from their unique points of view.

In today's "Memoirs," I am pleased to be featuring my sis Keyva on the blog. She's not only my blogger friend, she's also my Pretty Entrepreneur tribe sister! She always has a kind, inspiring word to share on social media and her personal style is EVERYTHING! Her flawless looks are polished with the perfect balance of classic and trendy for the everyday working woman. And don't let me leave out the fact that her hair is always on point! I mean, did you catch those sleek, luscious locks above? Keyva shares style tips, fashion inspiration, and her musings on life through social media, her blog, and contributions to the Pretty Entrepreneur "Pretty Ish" blog as well. And I for one, feel like I'm in for such a a treat when she does. Ladies, I present to you Keyva of My Life as "Keyva Jo."

Memoirs of a Fashionista | Zuqueta of The Pnk Panda

Happy Fashion Friday, ladies! I've been enjoying the Memoirs of a Fashionista feature so far, and I hope you all have been as well! I've been learning so much from my fellow fashionistas. If this is your first time checking out the series, the mission of the "Memoirs of a Fashionista" series is to highlight stylish women I admire while allowing them to share the love of fashion from their unique points of view.

In today's "Memoirs," I am featuring Zuqueta Elle. From the moment I came across her Instagram feed, I was in awe of her sophisticated, polished style. She is effortlessly chic and her style shots look like they came straight from a magazine, y'all. She should really be a spokesperson for Target because her posts alone have sent me in the store more times than any celebrity collaboration has-- for serious. A wife, mother of three, and Detroit educator, this fashionista blogs to share how to dress well as a busy mom AND get the most bang for your stylish bucks with her #FlexYourFinds hashtag. Ladies, I present to you Zuqueta Elle of The Pnk Panda.

Spring Style Inspiration | Little Pink Dress

The weather has been nothing but beautiful here in the south this week. I don't know about you, but these warm temperatures here in North Carolina (and the fact that my birthday is soon approaching) make me want to get out and shop for new dresses! While everyone is grabbing new sundresses from the shelves and unpacking last years' pieces to pair with new accessories, I just want to find some cute pieces to rock for my birthday! This year my cake will be adorned with 32 candles, so I'm in the mood for something simple, sexy, and sophisticated all at the same time. And since I'm really loving the off-shoulder and cold shoulder trend this season, those are the particular types of dresses that catch my eye as of late.

I have been doing a little online browsing mixed with a little playing around on Polyvore and I think I've come up with the perfect outfit for my birthday night out. Not only have I found a cute, simple dress, I've found cute accessories and shoes to match! Check out the details of this look after the jump.

Memoirs of a Fashionista | Melanie of Pretty Brown and Chic

As a fan of fashion, I am always observing how it is interpreted and displayed by others through their personal style. Like many others, I peruse my favorite magazines, Pinterest boards, and social media timelines for personal style stories that parallel my own and fashionistas that I can relate to. And as a woman who has fallen in a style rut quite a few times in the last few years due to lifestyle changes, I find myself looking for style inspiration more often lately. 

For all of these reasons, I've decided to revamp my fashion features here on the blog. The mission of the "Memoirs of a Fashionista" series is to highlight stylish women I admire while allowing them to share the love of fashion from their unique points of view. In today's "Memoirs," I am featuring Melanie Rashay. I have been following Melanie for some time on Instagram and am inspired each week by the way she effortlessly styles her looks to perfection. She is a devout mother, wife, and Christian who loves sharing her classic style on her social media channels. Launching her blog, Pretty Brown and Chic in the summer, Melanie definitely has an impeccable style and a sweet personality to be admired. Ladies, I present to you Melanie of Pretty Brown and Chic.

Wardrobe Staple | The eShakti Wrap Dress

When wardrobe staples are mentioned in women's fashion, the classic wrap dress always comes up in conversation. The wrap dress is a popular wardrobe choice for many women and for good reason. Not only is the style of the dress one that transitions well throughout the seasons, the wrap dress is figure-flattering for all body types as well.



For me, the wrap dress accentuates my best features while concealing my not-so-flattering areas. And with the right pair of shoes and accessories, the wrap dress can be styled with ease. Since my first experience with eShakti.com, this brand has been one of my favorite shopping choices when it comes to classic feminine dresses.

Spring Style Inspiration | Floral Dresses and Wedges

It's finally starting to feel like spring down here in the south. Though the temperatures can still be a bit temperamental, it's still safe to pull out your softer, delicate fabrics and hang the coats to the back of the closet. These transitions always get me hype, as spring is my favorite season. Not only does my birthday come in the spring, all of my favorite styles and colors are celebrated during this time of the year. Beautiful blush hues and pastels greens make a bold comeback and I can gladly start wearing my coral lipstick in the daytime again without a care in the world.

And last but not least, I get to rock my favorite springtime style pairing as often as I'd like--floral A-line dresses, wedges, and my staple denim jacket.

Fall Style Inspiration | Casual + Cozy

Happy December, ladies! How is the weather where you are? Around my way, it's so temperamental. One minute, the sun is beaming brightly and you just may break a sweat wearing a jacket. The next minute, you're ready to gear up in your finest sweater and sip on something hot for warmth. Since today fell somewhere near the latter, I decided to share a little outfit inspiration with you guys. If you're looking for everyday style ideas featuring your favorite boots and fitted jeans, check out this look below.

Fall Style Inspiration | Styling a Shirt Dress

How is the weather where you are? Are you guys breaking out the jackets, sweaters, and booties yet? Unfortunately it's still relatively warm here in the south, with the occasional breeze. So when we're in between seasonal temperatures, I love finding ways to style pieces that transition well--like the shirt dress.

The shirt dress is one of my favorite wardrobe pieces. It's one of the easiest articles of clothing to dress up or down with minimal effort. And to be completely real with you, it's a ready-made complete outfit for me. And like I mentioned before, it transitions well throughout the seasons, depending on how you style it. In the fall, I love stepping out in one of my favorite shirt dresses with tights and booties, ready to go out wherever. If you are too a fan of the shirt dress, check out the outfit inspiration below.

Fall Style Inspiration | Dressed Up or Down

The fall season is finally upon us, ladies. Temperatures are finally starting to cool and many of us are beginning to notice the shifts in the weather. We are cleaning out our closets, looking for our favorite boots, scarves, and the military jacket that was LOVE last year. We are brainstorming ways to transition our favorite summer pieces into the fall. We are perusing the aisles of our favorite stores (or if you're like me--adding items to your online wishlists) because we must be prepared for sweater weather, right?

Well if you're looking for ways to style your favorite fall wardrobe essentials, I'm sharing some fall style inspiration here over the next couple of weeks. And if you're someone who loves the idea of dressing the same outfit up or down according to the occasion, today's look is for you!

Do you like to switch up your color scheme with the seasons? I do. When fall hits, I love to bring out deep hues of burgundy, olive green, plum, and neutral tones. This year, I've been adding rose and blush shades with everything, hence today's look. I love this long-sleeved lace top. It's soft, feminine, and is comfortable enough to wear on early fall days before cooler temperatures hit (at least here in the south). Though the accessories appeal to the feminine aspect of the look, adding these trendy destroyed denim jeans and moto jacket (for layering) give this look a bit of an edge. This is the ideal balance I look for when styling- girly meets edgy. And since you must have a bag to compliment a look as well as carry around the important things (you know--wallet, phone, several tubes of lipstick + gloss, mascara, etc), get into this cute Charles Jourdan tote!

Now the remaining options for your look depend solely on your shoe preference. If you opt to enjoy a night out to dinner or plan to be on your best diva-like behavior, you may opt for a sleek pair of booties like the Jessica Simpson Aggie shown. Or if you prefer a nice casual sneaker and know you're going to be doing a lot of footwork, you may choose the stylish Adidas Samoa.

Would you rock this look? If so, where?

Which shoe do you prefer-- the booties or the sneaks?

Styling Idea | Casually Styling a Statement Tee

One of my style staples for the summer is definitely the statement/graphic tee. Quite honestly, the graphic tee is a wardrobe must-have of mine throughout the year. For me, they seem to be the simplest article of clothing to dress up or dress down, all while sharing a splash of your personality.

If you love making a statement with your style by way of attention-grabbing phrases boldly adorning your torso, know that I am right there with you.  As a woman that wears a graphic tee most weekdays (and some weekends), I am always thinking of different ways to style them. Today I would like to share with you my favorite way to style my "Lipstick Makes Everything Better" graphic tee- the "dressed down but casually cute" way.

Valentine's Day Style Inspiration

Valentine's Day weekend is upon us, loves!  Are you guys excited and enamored by all the love in the air? Or are you like me and will get in the spirit of the holiday once you find something cute to wear? If you are still looking for some outfit inspiration, you're in for a treat today. Whether you are celebrating Valentine's Day weekend with your sweetheart, your family, or  your girlfriends, I have a few outfit ideas that just might fit the occasion. I hope you enjoy!

Styling Idea | Dressing Up a Graphic Tee

How do you style your favorite graphic tee? As a woman that wears a graphic tee almost every other day, I am always looking for different ways to style them. Sure most think of graphic tees as a dressed down article of clothing, but you would be surprised by how many ways they can be dressed up. Today I would like to share with you one of my favorite ways to style my "In a Beautiful World" graphic tee--the dressed-up diva way.

Styling Idea | Mama's Day Out

Hi all! Just wanted to stop through to add a styling idea to the blog for my fellow fashionistas this weekend. Stylish mamas, when you finally get a chance to have a day (or night) on the town with no children in tow, what do you wear? Do you keep it nice and comfortable with jeans and sneakers as I do most of the time? Or do you take this opportunity to break out your pumps and paint the town red as I do on special occasions?

If you went with option two, I hope you like this look! I'm loving yellow with leopard print and red accents these days, so I thought this would be a fun look to rock for mama's day out! And you know you can never go wrong with black pumps!

Would you rock this look?

If so, where?

And what is your favorite thing to do 

when you have time to yourself?

REVIEW | Wood Watches by JORD

Ladies, how important are the details of your attire? How often do you carefully select accessories for your wardrobe?  While I like to keep my wardrobe choices simple and functional, I like to add “personality” to my look with unique pieces. I employ this idea with my choice of hairstyles, cosmetics, nail designs, and the accessories that bring together my look. Besides, choosing fun accessories make for the greatest conversation-starters while you’re out and about, right?

So when I was contacted by JORD to review one of their wood watches, I was excited! I’d never owned a wooden watch and was intrigued by how it would fit my everyday style. As I marveled over the watches on the site, I chose Ely Black for my review.

eShakti.com Online Shopping Experience | Review

There's something about the sleek-silhouette produced by wearing a perfectly fitting dress that makes me proud to be a woman. The way the skirt swings when I walk, the way the cut displays my legs, and the way the bodice caters to my curves makes me feel so soft and feminine.

I love wearing dresses, but while running around with my little ones, wearing them on the regular isn't always an option for me. They aren't always as comfortable and as versatile as jeans or pants. And it isn't often that I am able to find a dress that fits perfectly all over, without bunching in certain areas, and ill-fitting in other areas--not to mention options that are sexy without showing too much skin. But when I was presented the opportunity to review a dress from the online women's apparel company eShakti, I was given a whole new perspective. While shopping online, I was able to find a dress that fit me perfectly, is quite comfortable, and makes me feel all kinds of sexy and confident. So today I will be sharing my experience with perusing the eShakti site and choosing a custom dress with you guys.

Fall Fashion Lookbook | Dressed Down

Hey ladies! Are you as excited about the fall weather as I am? Though fall has been in effect for quite some time in most areas, it finally feels like fall in the south. 'Tis true. Folks have finally swapped their rainbows for more appropriate footwear and Uggs are making appearances all around my neck of the woods. I love the fall weather for the warm and cozy styling options such as sweaters and boots. I also like that I can switch seamlessly through seasons by simply layering my clothing by adding blazers and jackets to my wardrobe.

Since I shared a few styling ideas for getting all dolled up in my last fashion post, I'm sharing some dressed-down options this week.  With the help of my trusty Polyvore account, I created a little style inspiration for the "dressed down" portion of my Fall Fashion Lookbook below. 

Review | Sammydress Bodycon Bandage Dress

As you guys know, I just celebrated a birthday a few weeks ago. And for my usual birthday lunch date with hubby, I was on the search for a cute, affordable dress to wear. So when I was contacted by Sammydress.com to review an item from their site, I was elated! The timing couldn't have been more perfect! 

In case you aren't familiar, Sammydress.com is an online supplier of on-trend fashion and accessories based out of China. They ship internationally and have tons of items (lingerie, dresses, cosplay costumes, you name it!) for very affordable prices.

In my browsing of the site, I opted for this stylish round collar sleeveless bodycon knit bandage dress. It seemed conservative enough, as I didn't want to show too much cleavage or thigh. And I was hoping the fabric and cut of the dress would be forgiving, as my post-baby body is still a work in progress :-)

When the dress arrived, I must say I was pleased with my choice. The dress was identical to the photo on the site. And from using the handy sizing chart on the site, I would say my dress was very true to size. I was reluctant to try it on, as it is a bodycon dress and I was afraid it would be super tight-fitting. Much to my surprise, it wasn't. The cotton and polyester material of the dress was very breathable, and comfortable to move around in. I was winning, so far!

Now I don't know about you ladies, but when I'm trying on dresses in stores, I always "sit" or strike a sitting pose in the dress if there is no seating available. I stay going out to eat somewhere or on a movie date, so I wanted to make sure that the dress was comfortable while sitting as well as standing. 

Another win for Dre! And since hubby loved the dress as well, it looks like this baby was a winner all around! What do you guys think?

Overall, I loved how well the dress fit. The site's information was very accurate, as the dress was true to color, silhouette, and size. I was also very impressed with the quality of the dress, especially for the low price point. One thing that I will point out about this dress, is that it can be tricky for women who have an ample chest. I think the black banding of the dress is supposed to fall right under your breasts, but mine clearly does not. So ladies, please keep in mind that your overall body shape will affect the way the dress fits your frame. It may not look the same on every body, but it is quite flattering, if I say so myself.

Will you be stopping by Sammydress.com to score yourself a dress? Right now, they're running a special promotion that allows new sign-ups to get 10% off their orders. Isn't that awesome? Head over to the site and let me know if you see anything you like in the comments. And tell me what you think of this dress too, as I'd love to know!

Thank you to Sammydress.com for considering me to do this product review. They sent me this cute little number for review and I'm so glad they gave me the opportunity to share about their products with you guys here! 

Maternity Style: Day & Night Date Looks

Fellow mamas and mamas-to-be, what are you rocking out on your dates? You know, when you want to go out with your boo and look extra cute--even on those days when you feel like the baby has taken over your entire body? How do you dress yourself to still feel cute and confident? As I just attended a wedding last week, have my baby shower to attend tomorrow, and am hoping to squeeze a date in with hubby since he's off this weekend, I've been looking everywhere for outfit inspiration lately. And to be quite honest, I've been wearing the same few dresses for every occasion. But as I'm getting further along in my third trimester, I do want to put a little more effort into looking my best when out for my last few dates with hubby before JJ comes. So below, I came up with a daytime-friendly date look and a nighttime date look on Polyvore for inspiration.  I hope you guys enjoy!

This is my daytime look. I could see hubby and I going out for late lunch, a movie, and a walk in the park in this outfit. I'm not sure if I would still be rocking these wedges at this point in my pregnancy-- it depends on if we are going to take that walk in the park or not lol. The Liz Lange for Target Maternity Dress is really versatile though, so I'm sure I could wear it with flats, wedges, or sandals.

And this is my night look. I can see hubby and I going out to a fine restaurant in this dress. I have this look dressed to the nines with all the accessories in J's favorite color and everything! And I just love how the Isabelle Oliver Ruched Dress displays your baby bump, yet still accentuates your "other" curves lol. Oh, and of course, it wouldn't be me if I didn't have some sort of flower in my hair :)

LADIES, WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO OUTFIT FORMULA FOR DATE NIGHT?

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