SJB Series Part 1: Royal Pains of Winter

I know I have thoroughly complained and expressed my frustration with this season of winter. As a blogger, the colder months can so uninspiring. Quite frankly, I don’t love what the cold does to my skin. Somehow I always neglect to put enough moisturizer on my hands and other 2000 parts (insert eye roll) lol. I personally prefer my hair curly but in the winter I wear it straight. My hair is tailbone length and is quite time consuming to straighten. When I straighten, it’s poofy probably in the first 24 hours. I don’t re-straighten so I end up “bunning” or doing the ponytail thing which isn’t the most glamorous style. I honestly am simply not a fan of boots, I prefer open toe because they offer more detail in design but I digress.  I know what you’re saying “girl those are personal choices that you’re complaining about”. You’re so right but hey, I’m explaining the royal pains right? 

I completely inspired by my beautiful necklace from Sassy Jones Boutique. When I received this necklace I was definitely impressed at how beautiful it was and also the great quality. I LOVE this necklace. Had it been summer, I probably would have styled this look much differently…much more to my personal style but this look is to showcase the royal beauty of this statement necklace. I paired it with a free flowing vertically striped top and a black fur jacket to exaggerate the regal bold “centerpiece”. To bring the look to a casual balance, I wore a pair of jeans and thigh high boots. 

Had it been warmer weather, I would have worn a skirt instead. Not to take away from the necklace, I decided against a belt. I added a headpiece to further emphasize the “regalness” (I made that up lol) of this look. This is a bit out of my personal style but I am showing a style of how to wear this necklace. MY personal style with this necklace will be shown in a lookbook next week! For now, let me know what you think. Link to this gorgeous necklace, click here: (direct link). 

Shirt: Thrifted. Headpiece: Neon Wild. Jacket: Burlington (similar here). Jeans: Fashion Nova

     

   

Boho Street Style

I have seriously not been in the mood for dressing up. I want to wear some jogging pants. I’ll tell you one thing, I will be on the hunt for a new pair of kicks, possibly Addidas of Nike Air Max. I just need stylish kicks because I’ve not been in the mood for heels lately. Today I wore my broken in and long loved wedges from Justfab. I love these because they are so comfortable and I can run and jump all while looking stylish. My hair is all wrapped up so I put a scarf on because the wind has been so unforgiving this past week and I couldn’t get a flattering picture with my hair disrespectfully blowing every where.  Anyhoo, I’ve been wanting to rock this vintage Jordache jeans sweatshirt for months but I planned on wearing a skirt. Since this look happened before the warm up, wearing a skirt (with this look) and then another skirt a few a days later is a “no go” for me in this kind of weather.

I decided on a pair of denim pants from Top Shop. These are the Joni jeans. They are super comfy for those days when you would like to wear jogging pants but want to look a bit more polished than just wearing leggings. I wore a striped dress underneath my sweatshirt as a tunic for layering and dualing duties of combating the cold as well. To jazz up my look a bit, I am wearing a statement necklace.  I threw on a black leather jacket for warmth, edge and good measure. This look is quite boho chic with and edge and I’m ready for spring so this is also a lazy day outfit. Share your thoughts below!

Later Cupcakes!

To be Updated:

Jacket: Forever 21. Sweatshirt: vintage. Denim pants: Topshop. Dress/Tunic: Zulily. Wedges: Justfab. 


 

Casual Friday: Office Appropriate 

This is dedicated to all of my style friends out there that work in the office environment. When I worked in an office (I do still work in my own office), I couldn’t wait for casual Friday because I hated business wear. The thing is, even though as a staff we got to wear more casual attire, we still had guidelines to follow. The point of this outfit look is to actually show how you can be casual and stylish while still dressed appropriately for the office environment.

Since long line jackets are among my favorite pieces to keep in a wardrobe, I think incorporating such a thing in an outfit can automatically keep your look business-like without looking boring. Naturally, anything can rock a fresh pair of jeans I will so I opted for a pair from Forever 21. They cost about 10 bucks and are a basic wash denim. A basic wash doesn’t look to “decorated” that they detract from the business aspect of your look. I paired the jeans with a mock turtleneck top, white in color for a clean, fresh detail of the look. I added a scarf for esthetic and and comfort, another layer as well as an extra bit of (depth of) color. My boots are the rugged yet chic detail of my look. They boast an overt stitched, thick sole and fur at the outer inside area of the shoe as well as the tongue. I love this design of boot because it’s wet and snowy out. I won’t risk breaking my neck in heels with these! Let me know if you likey! I will see you guys back here tomorrow for a special (not really lol) post!

Later Cupcakes!

Jacket: Thrifted (similar here). Turtleneck: Thrifted (similar here). Scarf: (New) Goodwill (similar here). Jeans: Forever 21 (almost similar here). Boots: Target. Bag: H&M

 

Black, White & Colored Sophistication 

Disclaimer: A huge part of style is fit. This coat is WAY too big for me but I wore this for demonstration purposes. 

I love mixing color with black and white prints. The two compliment one another so very well, sometimes even allowing two different “styles” to coexist in one outfit. In this look today, I’m actually showing the most subtle (if it can be called that) way to mix colors amongst strong colored prints. I opted for a houndstooth scarf balanced against a colorful plaid coat. Both work for style and comfort as they not only keep me warm but they also stand out and grab attention. For a chic look (to this vintage coat), I tried to wear the coat simply hanging onto my shoulders. It was too cold for that!! Lol. I didn’t wear jewelry because my look is definitely decorated enough (due to the prints), overdone is never attractive…at least in my opinion. I’ve mixed black and white with colored prints in the past and I LOVE the way that it looks. I feel that it’s easy a signature look for me! Anyhoo, I’ve put info on my look below and something new I’m doing is adding alternatives to items no longer available, vintage or thrifted. Let me know what you think!

Later Cupcakes!

Wool Coat: Vintage (similar coat HERE, similar shirt HERE). Scarf: eBay. Turtleneck: H&M. Denim: (similar) JC Penney. Boots: old (similar pair HERE

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Impromptu Post…

I’ve had a lot of inspiration lately. Any and everything inspires me. Life has run a muck sort-to-speak in my world. I’ve been swamped and haven’t had the chance to post so quite frankly, this is an impromptu post. I wasn’t going to post this until tomorrow but since I’ve been too swamped to post in a while, I thought posting today is only fair. There will still be another post tomorrow as well, all posts will get moved up. I wish I had more to say this time but honestly I’m exhausted. I have a few reviews posting this week and three more outfit posts this week. Things in life are not back to normal and they never will be but I learned a lot this year. I’ve formed closer bonds with loving friends, closed chapters and been forced to become stronger than I thought I ever could be. This post is a bit more emotional than normal but I will back to my style explaining self tomorrow.

I love the darkness in this look. It offers so much depth and mystery but is till feminine. It’s a bit cool but my adrenaline allowed for me to wear this sheer  trench coat style cardigan over my outfit. I’m sporting a crop top from Forever 21. This is weird fitting top. I’m hoping to find this color in a turtleneck shirt. Anyhoo, my shorts are black and white plaid, vintage and thrifted. I love the contrast against my crop top. Now I know you must be thinking, “why didn’t she show skin” but I have two good reasons. One, I wanted a layered look. Two, I was just not loving the look of this fit without something underneath. Regardless, I think that the look came together. What do you think? Check the blog for another outfit post tomorrow….

Bye Cupcakes!

Shorts: Thrifted. Crop Top: Forever 21. Hat: Gadzooks (Or Forever 21). Boots: Shiekh Shoes (I think). Cardigan: Naked Wardrobe. 

Concrete Jungle/Early “Winter” Safari

It’s almost winter!! Can you guys believe it?!!

Fall seriously came and went rather quickly. I truly made an effort to enjoy autumn this year. I went to the cider mill, ran through a corn maze, sat by a bon fire, played in the leaves and indulged in cider and donuts just to name a few. I must say, the fall is one of my favorite seasons. We are literally less than two weeks away from the winter time. Normally, I would be dreading it but I’m actually welcoming the season this year. As a blogger, it’s always nice to make use of the opportunity to dress for the current season. Here in Michigan, it’s been quite warm lately. Our temperatures have been in the 50s generally. I am aware that this is due to El Niño and normally I’d probably be bundled up in about ten layers of clothing and outerwear lol.

Since it’s warmer, I don’t always reach for a jacket. One occasion that I don’t was just discussed in my last post. Check that out if you haven’t already. (Insert cheesing smile emoji). One of the other occasions would include wearing a fur vest. I’ve had this vest for over a year. In fact, I’ve worn it in another outfit. Fur vests are extremely cozy and warm. They also provide a nice cover for those that might not want to bare  their body’s silhouette but want to be fashionable. They give an extra layer to any outfit without taking over the look. Don’t be afraid to layer over jackets, maxi vests, rompers, etc.

I opted to wear mine with an off the shoulder bodysuit, high waisted pants, and high heeled mules. My vest has pockets which I love! I can leave my handbag at home if I like and carry my essentials on me. The belt was thrifted and looks to be Gucci inspired but I picked it up because it goes perfectly with this look. It adds a perfect pop of color. Let me know if this look is something you’d wear! I’d love to hear!! Until tomorrow for a couple of reviews…

Bye Cupcakes!!! 💋

Vest: Forever 21. Top: Urban Outfitters. Pants & Belt: thrifted. Shoes: Justfab. Earrings: Layered Chains. Necklace: Forever 21.

“In Living Color”

*As promised, here is more of a complicated look.* (wink)

So lately I’ve been in a mood for simple looks with calming colors. However, I have to insert looks here and there that make the eyes dance! I enjoy colors so much!! I mean, there are so many colors in life so why not explore and live in color? (Insert colorful heart emojis here). I found the main event sort to speak, of this outfit while out thrifting. There is absolutely nothing like finding a great piece that stands out. The piece I found is actually a short dress but it is way too short for my taste to wear as such. Therefore, I am wearing it as a tunic.

The colors are so bold and bright that I wanted to highlight them even more by grabbing a contrast print. I chose a black and white chevron clutch bag by Turquoise Soul Bags. The black and white really forces the bold colors of the tunic to pop. You can’t help but to notice both and in an unexpected way, they compliment each other. Since the weather is between 45 and 55 degrees lately, wearing a leather jacket is opportunistic without the threat of freezing. I opted for one of my fave black ones. I decided on some knee high open toe lace up boots on top of black leggings to complete the ensemble for an illusion of wearing just a short dress and tights. Modesty. For a funky kick, I am wearing a hat I bought earlier this year from Boohoo. The hat adds more of an eclectic yet structured touch. The gold cuff choker keeps the look in a glamorous balance. My jewelry is minimal so as so not take away from the stylist-ic (made that up lol) look of the outfit. Let me know what you think!! I welcome comments!! If you are not, follow me on Instagram, I always post my looks there plus some things I don’t post to my blog. Thank you in advance for your feedback and don’t forget to join me back here Friday for another outfit post!

Bye Cupcakes!! 🍭

Colorful top: (Vintage) Goodwill. Jacket: Thirifted. Hat: Boohoo. Bag: Turquoise Soul Bags. Boots: UrbanOg (old). Choker: Aldo. Leggings & Tank: H&M.

But It's Still Fall…

This past weekend produced some mouth opening situations however, none as shocking as the snow storm we got here in Michigan. The first snow fall. Like really? I was not ready at all. I mean, I had some things that were left over from the previous year (coats, boots, hats, a pair of gloves) but I was not closet ready. Several posts back, I talked about purging and getting rid of things that were no longer of any use in my wardrobe. Well I follow the rule of “in order to buy something new, something old must be sold/given away/thrown out”. I do not believe in accumulating “stuff”. The fact of the matter is, I had gotten rid of a lot of old things that were winter gear as a part of my purging. I honestly thought that I still had time to get the things that I wanted and needed before our first big snow fall. It’s technically still fall!!! But who am I kidding? I live in Michigan. The darn state is shaped like a mitten, it could snow at any time lol. I had to get ready…and fast!

Just a shameless plug, be sure to come back here tomorrow for a new series that I am starting here on my blog called Style Lusts. It will feature some things that I have my eye on at the moment as well as recently purchased things or things that I’ve pulled out of my closet. Some of those things had to make an appearance on today’s post. I can’t believe how cold it has gotten in just a matter of days. I definitely decided that I wanted to wear a coat for this look. There was no way I could not. However, I still show my style in this outfit, even with my coat on.

I found some old boots in my closet from over a decade ago that I purchased from Victoria’s Secret. They are genuine leather patent leather boots!! Rare nowadays. The patent leather allows the boots to stand out and pop against the entire look. I opted for a tweed coat (I LOVE tweed) with a fur collar. The collar can be taken off but I won’t be doing that because I  don’t ever need to wear a scarf when I wear that coat. For this outfit however, I did opt to wear one. Just for the sake of fashion lol. The houndstooth print accents and actually magnifies the look of the tweed. Underneath it all (the coat and what not), is a green wrap dress that I thrifted from the Goodwill. I didn’t wear any jewelry to avoid snags to my scarf but honestly the look doesn’t need it! For an extra accent, I wore some decorative tights. Let me know what you think of the entire look! Oh and be sure to check out my first post of Style Lusts here on my blog tomorrow!!

Bye Cupcakes!

Diamond Suds: Layered Chains. (Savings Code for 10% off: thestylecake)

 

 

 

 

Not the Average Tulle Skirt…

This past weekend I attended a very special event. Months before I was on the hunt for the perfect pieces to complete a look I’d crafted in my mind. I wanted to have a classic look yet still have that little extra flair.

I saw a skirt online that I instantly fell in love with! This skirt can be classified as a tulle skirt as it is made from tulle material but it has netting material as well. The netting material lays as the outermost layer of the skirt and looks just like fishnet (material). The skirt is detailed and accented with a bold red embroidery of flowers to add a feminine touch. Despite all of the detail, the skirt maintains a classic look and  is in no way overwhelming. Since the skirt is still modest, I paired it with a belt that is also simple yet stands out to create another “layer” to this look.

My shirt added a tricky “issue” to this outfit. Initially, I happened to be looking for a turtleneck in the stripe pattern that I am actually wearing with this look but I couldn’t find one. Meanwhile, I had a particular tee in my arsenal for a while. The only issue: I’ve been losing weight and this shirt used to fit snug on me and is now loose. The solution: I had to wear the tee anyway because I could not find the turtleneck that I was looking for and there was no sense in buying another shirt in the same pattern when I have this tee that fits the bill. When styling, the whole point is sometimes you have to improvise and use what you have. Always maximize the use of your closet. This “issue” is the main reason that I say having staple pieces in your closet can solve styling issues down the road.

To accessorize my outfit, I chose to wear black fishnet tights, they further complimented the detail of the tulle skirt. My shoes are patent leather to add a “layer” of shine to the look. My clutch is muted so as not to take attention from the rest of the outfit. I chose a gaudy yet elegant all black statement necklace and a quaint pair of black stud earrings. The necklace sort of balances out the top with the bottom half of my look. I chose no further jewelry because the look has enough detail. I love how every piece came together and made the classic look that I was going for. Now that you know the concept behind my look, let me know what you think!

…Til Friday Cupcakes!

Skirt: SheIn, Shirt: Thrifted, Shoes: Shiekh Shoes, Necklace: eBay.

1997…

If you are into fashion like I am you know that one of the hottest trends poppin is the 90s trend. This trend like the others that have proceeded it, (the 60s, 70s and 80s trends) seem to most excite those that may not have been old enough to sport these styles when they originally hit the fashion world. I was old enough to wear both the 80s and the 90s style but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to to take the opportunity now to sport some fashions that I had back in the day.

I found this dress in my stash that my mom bought for me back in 1997. This dress is th e same slinky material that you find at online retailer Missguided but has decorative detailing on the bottom. It has a split up the side that (for the sake of modesty) I put some biker shorts underneath to detract a bit of attention. The chest area has a bit of a cowl neck and it fits like a glove. I got this when I was in high school and because of its stretchy material, I can wear it today lol. In the 90s shows like “In the House”, “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “Martin” were extremely popular and inspired many looks during that time. The button up blouse I am wearing reminds me of those fashions on those shows. I decided to wear the shirt as a long line, oversized blazer for a bit of a cover up. My necklace screams 90s and it’s simple enough to not clutter the outfit.

I’m not by far a trendy girl but I thought it would be fun to kick it old school. Let me know what you think and see you Monday for another post! Have a blast this weekend cupcakes!

90s Shirt: thrifted. Dress: old. Bag: American Apparel. Sunnies: eBay. Shoes & Bangles: Aldo. Necklace: eBay.