A new hairdo.

Stephanie did a fabulous color melt on my hair just two months ago. That's why I was hesitant to chop it off super short. But it was just time. The long hair...well, it doesn't really suit me and according to some honest friends, the short n sassy n messy look just fits better. Yeah, it took four years to get it that long, but it is just hair.

The awesome thing about this? My ends are still light and the melt still looks good. Folks, this cut may be a keeper. You did great, Steph. Thank you oodles and oodles.

Color melt on short hair with flat iron waves.

Before/after with straight styling.

High collars.

Image via.

Image via.

High collars are hot! I dug out an old high school top and buttoned it all the way up:

Whether it's a turtleneck or a buttoned collar, I am just loving high collars right now.

In need of new glasses.

It's time for me to get my eyes checked. I know they have gotten worse, which means I get to pick out new frames. (Eventually I will have lasik, but maybe not for a few months?) I sort of still love my current frames. But they might be a bit outdated. Plus they hurt my head. Ideas on where to frame shop?

Stripes and florals.

Stripes plus florals equals an unexpected, interesting, BRILLIANT result. This is a great trend.

All photos from here.

My attempt:

Not as theatrical, but good nonetheless. I have never been much of a stripes girl until recently. They are actually fun when mixed with another pattern (like florals or polka dots). This cute Banana Republic top was a gift from a friend. She shopped for me while she was in Vegas. What a sweetie.

An outfit post (terrible photos)

Mismatched in a serious way yesterday.

Crotch shot taken in the car while at a stop light.

green + turquoise

I tried to copy this color combo with things already in my closet. Came up with this.

Bright green + muted turquoise + vibrant turquoise + reddish coral lip. I may have a new favorite color pairing.

plum + red

Plum looks great with red. See?

All images found via Pinterest when I search 'plum and red'

My outfit today.

(Taken awkwardly from my office chair with a phone camera.)



Koo De Ker

Secret's out about Koo De Ker...the awesome little apparel boutique I blogged about when peeps asked about my cute rust skirt. The owner is just adorable. She has some sweet employees, too.

I'm so glad they're getting some exposure and that some of their loyal customers are spreading the word. Like this cute Utah girl who always looks fantastic.

I think I need this sweater asap. Maybe a birthday gift to myself this weekend?

Hues that dazzle: fall layers.

Today I am making a color palette based on the outfit I'm wearing. That's weird, I know. But I like the outfit and I can do whatever I want.

plum sweater and aqua collared shirt: old navy (5 years ago). gold earrings: ny and co.

P.S. If you haven't checked out kuler yet, you should. It's where I make all these fun color schemes. You upload the photo and then it pulls the main colors and creates the palette. You can choose mutes, bolds, etc. All sorts of options. Then you can save the palette, give it a title, and the community rates it. (This one is on there and it's called "fall layers.")

Overnight sock curls.

Time for some haaaair talk! This head of hair I was blessed with is fine, thin and stick-straight. Curling it with heat damages it...plus the curls fall out five minutes later. Then I discovered...TA DAH...

There are many different how-tos and videos floating around the net. I used this one because it's simple and ideal for my hair type and length.

Simply wrap your damp hair around the sock then tie it up. Use more hair per sock for bigger curls, obviously. My whole head only needed four socks total. It was a little uncomfortable to sleep on, but I think after practicing placement and stuff, it'll get better.

The concept is the same as sponge rollers or old-time rag curls.

This is what my hair looked like first thing this morning after removing the socks.

I brushed it out, sprayed some finishing mist and was out the door. The miraculous thing about it all? This is what my hair looks like now (six hours later).

The curls have relaxed a lot (which is what I hoped for) and now they're just beachy and easy. I should also note this is dirty two-day-old hair. Normally it'd be up in an ugly pony. This is much better and will prolly be my new favorite thing.

Outfit post: skirts!

Skirt overload. Really is there any such thing? Ever since I realized I could wear a long maxi to work and skip shaving my legs, I've been on board. Slacks are boring. Skirts...well they're fun and comfy.

This floral skirt is from Asos. I love that the lining only goes half way.

You can't really see, but this navy skirt has great detail. There's pleating that gathers to one side toward the waist. It's from Ideeli. I've been super boring with tops. I love a good V-neck or plain white scoop tee.

Rust maxi skirt.

You guys. I never thought I'd find a rust maxi skirt. RUST. It's a great fall color. I'll prolly wear it every season, though. Not sorry.

It came from this terrific boutique in SLC called Koo De Ker. I've purchased a few items from here over the past few months, and I have to say...it's top notch stuff. You should go there. I love that their stuff is made in the U.S.A. This particular skirt, by the way, is ideal because it's light, flowy and made outta jersey (forgiving) fabric.

In other great (fashion) news: my boots came. You can sort of see them in the photo. They are these. 

An outfit post: mustard and aqua.

I got a pinterest account! I'll be honest. I don't quite understand how it works yet. I did manage, though, to install the PIN IT button and start marking things I like. At first, I thought I was supposed to be pinning things of my own. Oops. Shameful self-plug.

Anyway, I found this outfit on pinterest and was completely inspired by the colors. (Isn't this girl cute?) They scream end of summer. So I tried it myself with items in my closet and snapped these photos at work just now. 

   

I could have fancied it up a bit with some gold jewelry or something. But it's Monday morning, people. Getting out of bed was already too much to ask.

Bottom half of the outfit: flared, high-waist khakis and brown wedges. It's simple. But cute. An improvement from the go-to office greys, blacks and whites. Also pictured: my old, gross space heater that saves my life.

Other inspiring pairings of mustard and aqua: This outfit, these dishes, this handmade jewelry.

Happy Monday!

An outfit post: corporate again.

I really struggle with dressing up. As I've stated in other outfit posts, I'm a T-shirt and jeans girl, so slacks and skirts are foreign. Plus, I'm really not very ladylike when I wear these clothes, as much as I try. Chris is constantly reminding me to cross my legs or to try not to fall in heels.

Anyway, this is an outfit I wore to work.

If you're thinking, Wow, that's inappropriate. Wearing sleeveless tops to work?!  CALM DOWN. I put on a sweater while I was at the office.

Slacks, cream lace top, black sweater:  NY and Co.
Necklace: Kohls.
Platform boots: Macy's.
Nail polish: Mint Sorbet - Sally Hansen - Smith's.

An outfit post.

 

My blazer from Ruche came! Oh how exciting. It's hard to dress up for work four days a week. I feel like every corporate outfit is drab. I'm slowly trying to build the wardrobe with more colorful pieces like this one.

Let's talk about hair.

Hair isn't a huge thing at our house. In other words, there are other things I choose to spend my time worrying about. Chris, mister thick, full head of hair, would rather shave his. I'd rather throw mine in a pony so I can sleep an extra half hour in the mornings.

BUT.

Ever since I saw this ombre hair phenomenon, I've been totally intrigued. It's natural looking but also brightens things up with the sun-kissed ends. And don't forget the low maintenance factor. I won't need another coloring for MONTHS.

Weird photos. It's the best I could do with the self portraiture.

Also, are these not the cutest business cards you've ever seen? This is the gal who did my hair. If you're in the SLC area, I recommend her. It's Breanne's sister-in-law and she's at Dexterity. 

She styled my hair the night of my mom's fancy promotion ceremony. I made this feather rosette clip thingamajig, too. 

Feeling colorful.

 

Wouldn't this outfit look much better with colorful heels? Say, yellow or orange?  Anyway, I tried to be colorful because I was feeling vibrant this morning while getting dressed. Slowly, piece by piece, I'm branching out from the drab greys and blacks of my wardrobe. Thought it would be fun to share.

Oh, and Sam says hello.

Ruche dress.

At my new job, we're all required to dress up. Every. Single. Day. OH! Except Friday. I didn't realize how much I loved my jeans till I could only wear them once a week.

So.

This is the outfit I wore to work today. The dress is from Ruche, which is a favorite. I posted it mostly for my friend Rebecca who shares a love for this cute lil online boutique.

Back story on the awful photo: Wasn't aware my face was in the shot. Just wanted the outfit. It looks like something out of a horror film.