neons & neutrals

this who what wear reminded me how much i love...neons and neutrals right now. the subtlety of the neutrals (nude, light coral, cream etc) mixed with the wow-effect of the neons...ah! can't handle it!

pop for play...

or work...

or nice and calm...

is it so wrong to love both!?

Braids.

Is anyone else as obsessed with braids as I am? I would have done my hair in braids today, had I had time this morning. And as a side note, I'm completely obsessed with the new Britney song.

Pleats are so pleasing..

don't you agree? this latest trend has got me eyeing the shops BIG time (especially since I gave up shopping for lent...)

via here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Blunt Bangs

I like blunt bangs..do you? I have bangs..my adorable hairdresser Johnnie at Toni & Guy gave them to me around a year ago on a whim. I look back at pre-bangs pictures and I'm like, "who is that girl?"


You know what else I love? These two products. Virginia and I went on a Sephora outing post Christmas due to a gift card found in our stockings (thanks Dad!!!). We had the most awesome sales lady help us pick out these too for a little more relaxed, little less rigid look to the locks.

-the styling lotion de-tangles and smooths. I spray it in before air drying or blow drying.

-the surf spray makes your hair a little salty...if you know what I'm saying. I usually don't like it when my hair is "too clean" so it dirties it up just a little bit to give you some nice body.

I highly recommend these!! Plus they smell great. That same day I bought the best ever anti aging/forehead wrinkling already/moisturizer in the planet. Then I told Uptown Girl about it. We love.

And then I found $10.

Well I didn't, but I thought it might make the story better.

Awkward Teenage Years

So...at age (almost) 13, were you this cute?

Ok I was too, just checking because I wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one that never had horribly awkward years filled with braces and crimped hair and bad haircuts and break outs. I looked just like Elle and even had her same outfits! Didn't you?

Let's be serious..Dakota had quite the awkward (or at least "little girl" stage) and it seems Elle has jumped right on over that!

DIY With Feathers

Did you see the Who What Wear on Wednesday?


Ya, totally makes me want to make one of these:

On my own, and for MUCH cheaper than they retail...has anyone tried it yet?

Utilitarian Boots

So we're seeing a trend right now. Utilitarian boots. Almost biker boots, right? And duck boots...when did those come back? Well today's Who What Wear balances it out nicely. I think the goal is to wear the trend, without looking too...biker...masculine...butch even.


On a recent DSW outing, I turned to my sister and said "I really want weird boots". About four seconds later, we saw these:

Was I hesitant? Yes. Was I intrigued? Oh yes. But I took the plunge. They are now residing in an oh so honored spot in my closet. When I wear them I make sure to girl myself up somewhere else...and honestly? I have never received more compliments on a single pair of shoes than these.

Tips to keep yourself from looking butch:

1. coral lipstick. Hey, it's in style, it's adorable, and it works. or that fantastic neon shade we talked about before..

2. silk/ruffle top.

3. pair them with a dress.

4. pair them with booty hugging jeans.

5. pair them with over the knee socks.

What do you think?

Feisty Boots

Is it just me, or does she make you want feisty boots?

I'll take these

or these, gladly.

6 (maybe more) Reasons to Love Alexis Bledel

As if you need any reasons...but here are 6 reasons to love Alexis Bledel, in relation to the recent Who What Wear post.


1-perfect skinny jeans in a great wash and great length

2-great crisp, white blouse

3-killer one shoulder evening dress

4-fabulous nude make up

5-foxy bangs

6-caged up heels

and just for good measure, another reason I love her is because of her time on Gilmore Girls. You know it's true-you loved her too.

Update on Studs.

After searching for a while...this is all I've found so far as a substitute for the budget buster studded Valentino's...

Anyone else have any budget finds??

Such a Stud.

Yesterday's Who What Wear surprised me. Here the (fashion) world was, telling us that pointy is out, and here they bring them back in? Also apparently wide leg was out, but it's back too...good because I didn't stop wearing them.

Side note: I think Elle Macpherson is gorgeous and has great hair...

My favorite of the pointy heels (which they appear to be low heels-I'm definitely OK with that), are the studded Valentino's on Alexa Chung's feet. I had to do some digging, but Scott has already posted about these studs being the shoe of the season.

Now where to find a more budget friendly version....stay tuned.

Cold Shoulder

I think I've figured out one of the main reasons I love Blake Lively (Serena on Gossip Girl).

image via Who What Wear

What do all of these poses have in common? Her ability to give the "cold shoulder" with a smile/smirk on her face, and while looking fabulous.

I love her attitude...in her physique and in her clothing choices.

In honor of Blake..Adele's Cold Shoulder...another girl with attitude.

Baroque is no Joke.

Does everyone recognize this beauty??

Yes, exactly!!! It's Clémence Poésy from Gossip Girl Season 4. She plays the saint who saves Chuck in France and nurses him back to life. Recently she has run off back to her home, and away from Chuck...which will no doubt cause lots of mischief. (She has also played in the Harry Potter films).

How fabulous does she look sporting this simple yet elegant sheer Fendi frock?

Here she is with Blair..looking effortlessly sleek and clean.

A Who What Wear displayed Clémence last week for her baroque biker look...just the look my roommate would rock.

Boots.

Cue Rachel from Friends: "These are my 'I don't need a job, I've got great boots!' boots".

(See Who What Wear blast here)

So it's obvious I love boots. Right? I've been underwhelmed by boots in the shops (I know it's still early in the season). But seriously? A few years ago I bought these Steve Madden staples in JULY because I loved them so much. And I blogged about them day two of my blogging here.

Now WWW has come out with a blast that may make me change my mind on this season's selection. The Alician..the Karena...the Fivvy...the Briva...how will I chose? What boots are you on the market for this season? I'm looking for a wedged boot...which is why the Alician may win out of all of these! Plus I really do like the word taupe. So taupey don't you think?

Furry Friends?

What does everyone think about faux fur this year? I don't know if I can rock it...especially since I live in Texas (granted the temperatures have been creeping into the mid 50s and everyone has panicked), but let's be real-the weather does not get frigid.

(click picture to be directed to Who What Wear blast)

I keep wondering where Rachel Zoe's collection can be found...shocking that her pieces seem so affordable!

Pony

Yesterday's Who What Wear discussed polished ponytails. I am a fan of the ponytail. My dad always compliments me when I have my hair pulled back to show more of my face.

Zoe always knows best...


Have always had a girl crush on Rachel..

But Garance did mention to pony up with caution here...thoughts?

Inspired by an outfit

Subject: Diane Kruger's fabulous and unexpected color matches.



I've never thought to wear an icey/minty blue with a purple fuchsia before...have you? Diane has inspired me. Not only do I want to dress like she did, I want to decorate like this!


The calming effect of this paint in a room would be so soothing. Imagine--open up the windows..cool breeze...sipping wine...ahhhh (although it would probably have to be white wine with this super light room!)
Very relaxed and beachy-love the sneak you get of the dining room!

Who DOESN'T love tiling in a bathroom?

I.Love.This.Room. The tufted velvet couch. The array of various framed florals. The funky lamp. The rich color on the walls! What's not to love?

Love the subtle POP of purple fuchsia in an otherwise animal room (ha).

What a bright pop of color on the floor! Reminds me of another post I saw somewhere in blog land..

Oh and happy Friday! I have a wedding to attend this weekend and other small things to do to get caught up from a busy week at work :)

Also-have you ever noticed how weird the spelling is for fucshia?!

Fall Bags

The question most likely going through your head right now is: "Ann, how often do you use the Who, What Wear email blast for a blog subject?" I know, I'm hooked! But it's so useful! Spot on! Trendy! Stylish! I don't need an excuse it's my blog! :)

Anyways, moving on to handbags. Overall, for fall (ha-rhymed!) I'm seeing animal, studs, textures, fringe, and buckles. Love! My favorite below is the black texture Jerome Dreyfuss bag.

And my favorite bags around my three favorite stores (cue Anthro, Madewell, and JCrew) are here:

Love the fringe on this one!

The chains and buckle (and SMALL fringe!) are spot on here:

Love the distressed leather and the buckle!

Have any favorite handbags out there? Show me!!