Winter White & Sequins

The holiday season is approaching. That means holiday parties!! There are two things that are always chic to wear to holiday parities - winter white and sequins.

I'm absolutely obsessed with monochromatic outfits. And, winter white is oh so chic! Wearing all winter white always looks sophisticated. Try wearing relaxed shapes for a soft, luxurious look. However, if you are afraid of looking like an ice-cream cone, try wearing a different texture skirt or darker colored camel pants to contrast the winter white top. And remember, winter white functions the same way white does - so it always looks great with black.

Next up are sequins! And really, does anything say "Hello, Holiday Party" better than sparkles. If you are really into it, go with a full out sequin dress. They come in all shapes and sizes and plenty this season come with sleeves to help with the cold weather. If you are a little more reserved, try a dress with sequins along the neckline or hemline. This will give you just the right amount of sparkle. Or, if you just want to wade in the water, try a cardigan or sweater with sequins on the shoulders or neckline.

So, be the "belle" of the ball and get ready for your holiday parties!

Holiday Gift Guide for Men

Today it's time to focus on the hardest people on your shopping list....the men. It always seems like the men in my life have everything and I can never think of great presents for them. Well here are some ideas for you...

Most men are crazy for sports; however, they already have most sports paraphernalia. But, here are some things they might not have thought of. First is a Washer Game Set. Washers is such a fun game that anyone can play...I even like playing it. Sports Authority website sells the game in almost every college and NFL team. Next, for those tailgaters out there, get them a insulated 24oz tumbler with their favorite team logo on it. You can even get their name on it. My brother-in-law has this cup an absolutely loves it. Lastly, for a gift that keeps giving, get a subscription to Sports Illustrated magazine.

For those guys who may not be so into sports, here are some other great ideas. These days everyone has an IPhone but not everyone has a dock to listen to the IPod while grilling outside and hanging around the house. Next, Jack Black products are awesome. Most men won't spend money on products so this is a great gift to show them how great special products are. My husband is in love with the Jack Black Supreme Creme shaving gel. Lastly, these LL Bean slippers are awesome. My brother wears them everyday and make a great present for a guy of any age.

Merry Christmas and happy shopping!

Holiday Gift Guide for Women

With all of this cold weather, it is definitely starting to feel a lot like Christmas! It's one of the best times of year. However, so often we get stressed out trying to buy the perfect gift that we let it steal the joy of the season. So here are some great ideas for you...

If you are looking for something for someone who has everything, go directly to Sephora. The make-up is so sparkly and fun for the holiday season. Plus, most brands sell holiday gift sets. One thing that I definitely have on my wish list is this Stila Lip Gloss Set. Stila lip gloss is so luxurious and thick, and this set has all their best colors. Another great gift is the Nars Cheek and Lip set in their best selling color of orgasm - it looks great on everyone. Lastly, Philosophy is known for having the cutest sayings on their bottles. This peppermint bark scent is perfect for the holidays. And, the best part is that all of these are $30 or less!!

If make-up and body lotion isn't what you are looking for, don't worry. There are still some great gifts out there for under $30! First is this animal print infinity scarf from Nordstrom. I actually have a version of this and can't get enough of it. It's light-weight and trendy. How can you go wrong? Next, House of Harlow is the jewelry line of Nicole Richie, and the line has some great pieces. All the pieces are plated in gold. This particular ring is rose gold, but it comes in all finishes. And, for the gift that keeps giving, give a subscription to a fashion magazine. My favorite magazine is InStyle. But, some other great ones are Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle and Lucky.

If you have a little bit more to spend on someone very special, here are three great ideas. Tory Burch has started making jewelry and oh...la...la, this necklace is stunning. It's silver and gold with just the right amount of sparkle. Any girl would love it! Also, Michael Kors watches are so hot right now. I'm totally obsessed with this rose gold one; however, they come in all kinds of finishes. Lastly, what girl doesn't like a little blue box under the tree! Getting someone a Tiffany's charm bracelet is a great tradition to start. Then, all you have to do is get them a different charm for each birthday and Christmas.

Merry Christmas and enjoy your holiday shopping! Check tomorrow for some suggestions for men!

Tweed It!

Now that it seems Winter is here to stay, it's time to break out all of the heavier sweaters and jackets. And, tweed seems to go simultaneously with winter. When most of us think of tweed, we think of classic Chanel suits and Jackie O. However, most of our budgets can't swing Chanel. But, that doesn't mean we can't take part in this traditional look.

One problem with tweed is that it can sometimes look a little old lady. To spice it up, don't wear a full tweed suit. Try wearing just the skirt with a trendy top and shoes. Or, try wearing just the coat over a solid colored dress. If you are going to wear head-to-toe tweed, try breaking up the dress with a great belt. Another way to spice up tweed is to get a pattern with a bright color in it. Even though it's winter, it doesn't mean you have to wear all dull colors. Pinks and reds make great tweed prints.

Another way to take part in the tweed look is to wear tweed accessories. Tweed bangles will certainly add elegance to any plain outfit. And, one of my favorite finds are these tweed shoes from Banana Republic - so cute with skinny jeans.

So, channel your inner Jackie O and CoCo Chanel and wear some tweed this Winter!

Shear Bliss!

Now that we have a blast of cold air, it's time to take advantage of some Winter trends. Louisiana might not be the best location to sport this trend, but none-the-less soft shearling is being seen all over coats, sweaters, boots, and hats.

This cozy material might be a bit heavy but try pairing it with a light weight top and skinny jeans to really balance out your figure and make a statement that you are ready for Winter.

If you don't want to invest in a leather jacket, try a sweater with a shearling trim or a great boot that is lined in shearling. Trust me, your feet will thank you for the shear bliss!

Make this snuggle-worthy material a part of your trends this Winter!

Bows on Toes

I don't think I've ever met a woman who doesn't like looking like a lady. There are a few key looks to help this happen; however, some looks leave people looking like they are trying too hard.

One thing that always helps a look appear more ladylike is a bow. Bows can be placed on shirts or dresses and always give a flirty, ladylike feel. However, most of us feel a bit ridiculous wearing a bow. Great news, this Fall and Winter, bows are showing up all over shoes. It's the perfect way to embrace a bow without going over the top.

Louis Vuitton has had these heels all over their recent ad campaigns. And, I just can't get enough of them. Absolute perfection!!! However, not all of us can splurge on LVs. Don't worry, we are in luck. There are plenty of bow options out there - bows on heels and flats - bows on the fronts and bows on the back.

Be a lady today and wear some bows on your toes!

Online Shopping

Lately, I've had a few people ask me about my favorite online shopping websites. Well, that's sort of an overwhelming question for me because I spend so much time researching fashions and websites. But, here are a few that I would recommend to anyone...

http://www.shopbop.com/ - This website has just about everything and has a great range of items from reasonably priced to really expensive. The stuff on the website is really on trend and is a great way to look at outfits and mirror your own outfits after them.

http://www.ruelala.com/, http://www.giltgroup.com/, and http://www.beyondtherack.com/ are all great websites that have great sales. You have to sign up to be a member to the website, but all that does is send you a daily reminder of the daily deals going on. You can get some really great designer pieces at a much lower price from this website.

http://www.piperlime.com/ - This is another great website that has so many options in accessories, handbags and shoes. One of the best stylist in Hollywood, Rachel Zoe, gives her recommendations for trendy items. This is always great to look at for ideas.

http://www.shopthelook.net/ - This website has some really trendy and really inexpensive jewelry and accessory options.

http://www.net-a-porter.com/ - This is such an outrageous website. The beautiful things on this site are super expensive but it's always my go to website because I love looking at the designer things. It's always fun to see the new trends and them mirror similar outfits after them.

There are plenty of more great websites out there. These are just a few that I love going to. Hope you enjoy.

Riding Boots

Boots are definitely a key piece that everyone should have in their wardrobe. Boots come in all shapes and sizes...pointy toe, rounded toe, high heels, flats, and wedges. I personally think everyone should have a pointy toe, high heel black and brown pair of boots as well as a flat riding boot. These boots can be worn in so many ways.

Today we are going to focus on Riding boots - because they are everywhere this Fall and Winter. Just because it's a Riding boot doesn't mean you have to have an equestrian look. For a preppy look, wear a white button down with a cardigan or vest over it and tuck your jeans into the boots. For a trendier look, wear a long cardi wrap over a turtleneck or t-shirt with leggings or wear a dress with tights.

The biggest bonus of Riding boots are that they are flat - which means oh so much comfort your feet!!

The Shade of Grey

Along with camel, another hot color for this Fall and Winter is grey. Some people think grey is hard to wear. However, it actually looks softer on most skin tones than black and navy. Grey pieces will come in all shades and tints this Fall - from a light creamy grey to a dark heathered grey to a shimmery silver grey.

For a chic look, layer grey pieces upon different shades of grey. Or, mix it up with layering grey with the obvious colors of black or white. If you want to be different and daring, pair grey with brown - grey and brown look shocking good together. For a night out on the town, pair grey with red or with silver sequins.

Grey will come in all shapes too this season - from timeless blazers and dresses to more playful and trendy cardigans, sweaters and fur vests. So, if you are looking for a quick update to your wardrobe that you want to last more than one season, buy a grey piece of clothing.

The great thing to realize is that with the comeback of grey and camel, we know that fashion is back to basics with classic looks. Hooray!

All Wrapped Up

Everyone loves the Fall season - beautiful, sunny weather with just the right amount of cool air before the bitter Winter hits. However, so many of us, don't know how to dress for the changing temperatures - Is it cool outside today? Is it going to get hot by the afternoon?

Well, the solution is easy - wear a scarf. It's such an easy way to look trendy and an easy way to deal with the changing weather. Layer a scarf on in the morning whenever it's colder and take it off by the hotter afternoon. It folds easily into your handbag, and you and just layer it back on again to go out to dinner.

Scarves come in all lengths, colors, textures, and most importantly prices! If you want to get into the trendy look, wear an animal print scarf since animal prints are so huge for the Fall. Because this is a trendier look, you might not want to splurge too much on this one. Try looking at the Gap, Banana Republic or Old Navy.

If you want to splurge more of an investment piece for your wardrobe with a scarf, you should buy either a Pucci, Gucci, Burberry, or Louis Vuitton scarf. These brands definitely are more expensive, but the scarves are classic and will never go out of style. If you are going to invest in a more expensive scarf, try getting one that has both black and brown in it. That way you can wear it with plenty of things in your closet. Or, for a really chic look, get a monochromatic scarf and wear it with the same color for a full monochromatic look.

Whether you spend $5 or $500, get all wrapped up in a scarf for the Fall!

Fashion Icon: Tory Burch

Compared to the other fashion icons that we've looked at, Tory Burch is very different. The company only started in 2004 - which would cause some to argue that it is too early to be considered an icon. However, Tory has begun to revolutionize the luxury line of fashion by making pieces that are much more affordable than Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Tiffany's - which is one of the reasons why I'm so in love with Tory Burch clothing, shoes and handbags.

This ready-to-wear line is sophisticated and classic yet always has a stylish and somewhat trendy feel to it. The Tory Burch line was first known for it's tunics - in bright colors and jeweled necklines. But, it also has fun cardigans in all colors and great-fitting dresses. These are pieces that will never go out of style, and you can have for a lifetime.













In 2006, Tory Burch introduced the Reva ballet flat in honor of one of the most inspirational people in her life, her mother. This signature ballet flat has since been made in tons of colors, metallics, and animal prints but always remains true to the signature rounded toe with the Tory Burch logo on it. Women of all generations love this shoe because of it's comfort. Celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Cameron Diaz have been seen all over town wearing them. I personally have 3 pairs of the Reva flats and swear by them. They are so chic and comfortable. Her other shoes include great wedges, sandals and boots. Tory Burch is definitely a line to keep your eye on and if you do invest in one of her pieces, be sure to hold onto it because in about 10 years you will still look chic in the vintage look!