leopard-print flats etiketine sahip kayıtlar gösteriliyor. Tüm kayıtları göster
leopard-print flats etiketine sahip kayıtlar gösteriliyor. Tüm kayıtları göster

23 Kasım 2015 Pazartesi

My Take on the GYPO Fall Challenge + Link-Up

With a blanket of snow covering the ground here in Michigan, I think it's time to recap my experience with the Get Your Pretty On Fall Challenge so that I can move on to winter style!

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Get Your Pretty On challenges, I'll start with the basics.  Each seasonal challenge costs around $50.  Upon signing-up, you receive a shopping list of both classic and trendy items that comprise a capsule wardrobe.  You purchase the items according to your own budget or find the pieces (or similar ones) already hanging in your closet.  Once the trial begins, you receive daily outfit formulas featuring the items from the list.  You get twenty-some outfits that are ready-to-wear!

What I liked:

I really love this challenge in theory.  I love the idea of remixable pieces.  I love pairing classic and trendy looks.  I love the hunt for all of the items on the list according to my budget.  And I especially love having cute outfits already planned for me (that way, getting dressed for school at 5:30 in the morning doesn't feel so daunting).


What I didn't like:

But like I said, I love the challenge in theory.  In execution, it just didn't work for me.  For one, sometimes the "outfit of the day" didn't work for what I had planned.  I just can't wear distressed boyfriend jeans to work on a Tuesday.  I ended-up using the outfit ideas out of order to fit with my plans but, for me, this created more work than just choosing an outfit from my closet.  I would spend my evening combing through all of the outfit combinations to find one that would fit my needs.  The next struggle was in making sure that all of the pieces I needed for that outfit were actually clean.

The other trouble I encountered was with the clothing items that I substituted.  For example, I couldn't find the grey cable knit sweater on the shopping list so I substituted the recommended neutral sweater that I already had in my closet.  I just didn't like my outfits featuring substituted pieces as well as I would have if I had purchased the actual recommended items.  This makes me feel like I want to buy each specific piece on the lists in the future...which just isn't compatible with my teacher budget.

In Summary:

I know that lots of women love these challenges so I'm in no way trying to portray it in a negative light, I just want to be honest about my experience.  And even though I found the program to be more difficult than I expected, I did find myself in the middle of a great Facebook community of women who were participating as well.  Everyone in the group was super encouraging and supportive.

All of that being said, I will not be participating in the Winter Challenge.  I'm hopeful that I can try another one in the future but I just don't have the money or time to give this next one a go.

The Outfits:

And finally, here are two outfits that I created based on the prompts from the Fall Challenge.



This was one of my favorite outfits that I created from the daily prompts.  I really enjoyed the color pairing that I wouldn't necessary have thought of myself.



And this is an outfit that I didn't necessarily dislike but I would have liked it better if I had the grey cable knit sweater with a white shirt underneath.

What I'm Wearing:
Scarf: Target (similar, similar)
Pink Shirt: Old Navy (exact)
Red Pants: c/o Stitch Fix (similar, similar)
Gold Flats: DSW (similar)
Camel Sweater: J.Crew Factory (similar)
Pearl Necklace: Amazon (exact)
Black Jeans: Zara (similar, similar)
Leopard Flats: LOFT (similar, similar)


And now it's time for the Lovely Little à la Mode Link-Up!


Hosted by :
Carrie/A Lovely Little Wardrobe : Bloglovin/Facebook/Instagram
Whitney/Whitney à La Mode : Bloglovin/Instagram
Casey/A Little Bit of Cheer : Bloglovin/Facebook/Instagram

Each week we choose a favorite...check out Carrie and Casey's blogs to see if it's you! Here was my favorite this week:


This week I loved Mary of Mary Murnane's look!  She used a kilt pin to create a poncho out of her blanket scarf.  You better believe I'm going to try this with my beloved Zara knock-off!

Now let's get linking! We like to keep things simple around here. Just link up your favorite posts--fashion, beauty, food, DIY, anything goes! Follow your hosts on social media, have fun and be inspired! Thanks for linking up!

A Lovely Little À La Mode Link Up
<a href="http://www.alittlebitofcheer.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc454/pianoprincessdesigns/button%20small_zpsujefyz2q.png~original" alt="A Lovely Little À La Mode Link Up" width="125" height="125" /></a>

2 Kasım 2015 Pazartesi

Polka Dots and Leopard Print + Link-Up

Ahh, I had such a wonderful and relaxing weekend!  What about you?  On Friday I threw a monster-themed baby shower for one of my best friends.  The rest of the weekend I spent passing out Halloween candy and relaxing with my handsome guy.  My one complaint?  That the weekend isn't longer!  I'm not ready for it to be Monday just yet.


Although I suppose Monday feels a little better with the help of a cute outfit and some pattern mixing!  Do you have a better day when you feel really good about what you're wearing, too?



While my favorite pattern mixing combination is leopard print with stripes, this fun animal print paired with polka dots is a close second!  I think it's the ease with which these patterns come together that makes the combinations so great.  Especially when you're working with black and white stripes or polka dots, you don't even have to wonder if leopard print will go, it's a no-brainer (and let's face it, we all need those when we're getting ready for work on a Monday morning).



Are you interested in seeing a couple of other ways to pair polka dots with leopard print?  Head over to Carrie and Casey's blogs to see how they mixed their patterns today!

What I'm Wearing:
Shirt: Express (exact)
Cardigan: Target (similar)
Necklace: Amazon (exact)
Skirt: Land's End (similar, similar)
Tights: Nordstrom (exact)
Flats: LOFT (similar, similar)

And don't forget to link-up the remainder of your Create28: Fall Looks or anything else you want to show off below!


Hosted by :
Carrie/A Lovely Little Wardrobe : Bloglovin/Facebook/Instagram
Whitney/Whitney à La Mode : Bloglovin/Instagram
Casey/A Little Bit of Cheer : Bloglovin/Facebook/Instagram

Each week we choose a favorite...check out Carrie and  Casey's blogs to see if it's you! Here was my favorite this week:



My favorite look this week is from Dee of Shoes to Shiraz!  This post is full of cute fall outfits but I'm loving this blazer paired with plaid flats.

Now let's get linking! We like to keep things simple around here. Just link up your favorite posts--fashion, beauty, food, DIY, anything goes! Follow your hosts on social media, have fun and be inspired! Thanks for linking up!

A Lovely Little À La Mode Link Up
<a href="http://www.alittlebitofcheer.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc454/pianoprincessdesigns/button%20small_zpsujefyz2q.png~original" alt="A Lovely Little À La Mode Link Up" width="125" height="125" /></a>

14 Eylül 2015 Pazartesi

A Classic Piece and the LLALM Link-Up

What is the quintessential classic piece to have in your closet?  A little black dress?  A white button-down? A pair of nude pumps?  I think the concept of a classic piece can mean something different to each of us depending on our personal style and lifestyle.  For me, I would consider leopard print flats and a denim jacket to be classic and staple pieces in my wardrobe.  But the garment that I want to talk about today is a black and white striped dress.  Combine neutral stripes with a flattering fit-and-flare style and you have a classic piece, in my book!


I love black and white stripes because they can be combined with a seemingly limitless number of patterns and colors.  Plus a simple dress can be paired with so many cute pairs of shoes, belts, tights and completer pieces!



With a classic piece, it's sometimes fun to have a bit of unique detailing and I think I've found that in the contrasting stripes of this dress.  Even with this special touch, I've been able to wear this dress so many different ways!  Here are a few of my favorites looks!


What is your most classic wardrobe item?  Make sure to pop over and visit Carrie and Casey to see the pieces that they've chosen!  And now it's time for our Lovely Little à la Mode Link-Up!

What I'm Wearing:
Dress: LOFT (similar, similar)
Cardigan: Banana Republic Outlet (similar, similar)
Belt: Target (similar, similar)
Flats: LOFT (similar, similar)


Hosted by ~
Carrie/A Lovely Little Wardrobe: Bloglovin/Facebook/Instagram
Whitney/Whitney à La Mode: Bloglovin/Instagram
Casey/A Little Bit of Cheer:  Bloglovin/Facebook/Instagram

Each week we choose a favorite...check out Carrie and Casey'sblogs to see if it's you! Here was my favorite this week:



Andrea of Living on Cloud Nine nailed her "pinned it and did it" look and has me excited about taking my chambray dress into the fall with a pair of booties and a scarf!

Now let's get linking! We like to keep things simple around here. Just link up your favorite posts--fashion, beauty, food, DIY, anything goes! Follow your hosts on social media, have fun and be inspired! Thanks for linking up!

A Lovely Little À La Mode Link Up
<a href="http://www.alittlebitofcheer.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc454/pianoprincessdesigns/button%20small_zpsujefyz2q.png~original" alt="A Lovely Little À La Mode Link Up" width="125" height="125" /></a>

2 Temmuz 2015 Perşembe

Create28: My Graphic Tee Look

Welcome back for Day 2 of Create28: Lovely Summer Looks!  Today it's my turn to show you one of my favorite ways to style a graphic tee!


Graphic tees are a great way to express your personality or interests (like my love for Hop Cat in East Lansing) through your clothing.  On top of that, there are so many ways to style a graphic tee.  You can wear one simply with a pair of skinny jeans or boyfriend shorts.  For a little bit of interest, you can add a vest or cardigan.  If you want a more glamorous look, add a sparkly necklace and a pair of heels!

I really like to create a feminine look by wearing a graphic tee with a skirt.  However, when I was putting this outfit together, I felt like I had exhausted all of my skirt pairings.  Where did I look next?  To my dresses!  If you aren't feeling excited about your skirts, try layering a shirt over dress to create a faux-skirt look!  When I wore this outfit to a get-together with friends, a girlfriend of mine complimented me on my skirt...so I think I pulled this one off!


Need some more inspiration?  Take a look at my graphic tee Pinterest board:

Follow Whitney R.'s board Graphic Tee Looks on Pinterest.

Are you playing along with Create28?  Snap a photo of your graphic tee look and share it with us on Instagram (#Create28SummerLooks) or during our Monday link-up!

Come back tomorrow to see how Casey styles a maxi dress!



What I'm Wearing:
Dress: Target (similar, similar)
T-Shirt: Hop Cat 
Flats: LOFT (similar, similar)

11 Mayıs 2015 Pazartesi

My First Le Tote Experience


From clothing to jewelry to make-up and even snacks, subscription services are all the rage lately!  In the past I've tried Stitch Fix and Rocks Box and have really enjoyed my experiences.  There's something so fun about receiving a box in the mail filled with surprise goodies to wear!  

I've been curious about Le Tote for quite awhile now, and given that it's my birthday month, I decided to splurge a little and see what it's all about!



The details:
  • Subscribing to Le Tote costs $49 per month.
  • Le Tote sends you a box filled with five clothing and jewelry items.
  • You get to wear the pieces as much as you want, then send them back when you're done!
  • As soon as you send your box back, Le Tote will send you a new one (yes, that means unlimited boxes each month)!
  • If you like an item, you can purchase it at a discounted rate!
Now obviously there are pros and cons when you compare Le Tote to Stitch Fix.  Le Tote is definitely more expensive compared to Stitch Fix's $20 boxes.  However, with SF, you only wear what you decide to keep and pay for, there's no taking the rest of the pieces for a trial run.  And not only do you get to wear all of your LT items, you can receive multiple boxes a month for the $49 whereas with SF, it's a one time deal.

Now on to my first Le Tote delivery!  Here are the items I received:


To be honest, I was a little bit disappointed with my first "tote."  There are a few items that I liked but I'm a bit underwhelmed overall.  However, I think there are a few things I can do differently to ensure that I like my next delivery even better!
  • Striped Shirt: This is my favorite item from my first tote.  I had already "added it to my closet" to help my stylist understand my taste in clothing.  If you've spent any amount of time reading Whitney à la mode, you know that I love stripes.  So stripes going in different directions?  Sign me up!  I had fun wearing this shirt but the fit just wasn't perfect (too short sleeves) so I will be sending it back.
  • Blue Dress: Holy cling!  This dress is made from a thick, knit, clingy material.  So lumps and bumps, you could see them all!  Let's not even get started on the size of my behind in this dress.  I won't even show you a picture.  Yep, that bad.
  • Cable-Knit Sweater: Umm, have you checked the weather in Alexandria lately?  Clearly my stylist did not.  It's been in the 80s here so I could barely convince myself to try this sweater on.   Aside from that, I wasn't a fan of the zipper or the color or the fit.
  • Pink Earrings:  I also placed these earrings in my closet, so I was excited to receive them.  I'm going to get one good wear out of them and then send them back so I can receive my next tote.
  • Necklace: It's pretty and I'll wear it, I'm just not in love with it.
So there are a few things that I'm going to do to (hopefully) improve my next box.  I wrongly assumed that the LT stylists take the weather into account when choosing your items.  Since that isn't the case, I went back to my "Style Profile" and requested that I do not receive sweaters.  If I'm still doing LT when the cooler weather rolls around, I'll go back and change that.  I also realized that I wasn't excited to receive jewelry...probably because I love my Rocks Box subscription.  I also went back and requested only clothing.

So please forgive this lengthy post, I just wanted to share my experience with you in case you've been considering Le Tote as well!  If you are at all curious, I would greatly appreciate if you sign-up using my code.  We each get $25 out of the deal!

As you can see, I really did enjoy wearing that striped top!


What I'm Wearing:
Shirt: Le Tote (similar, similar)
Shorts: Anthropologie (similar, similar)
Flats: LOFT (similar, similar)
Purse: Nine West Outlet (similar, similar)


Linking-Up:
Fizz and Frosting- Mix It Mondays
I do DeClaire- Confident Twosdays