Stately Design

Shirt: Old Navy (2012)  Skirt: Gap Outlet (2012)  Belt: Forever 21 (2012)
Wedges: Payless (2012)  Necklace: Forever 21 (2009)  Bangles: Forever 21 (2012)

I saw this wall while heading to my neighborhood Goodwill a few weeks ago, and decided I needed to make it mine. 

So I headed over to the Texas Department of Public Safety and took these photos. Yes, behind this wall, tickets are processed, ideas for snazzy new street signs are composed and a cop mannequin stands in all his glory, scaring the living daylights out of innocent photo takers. Like Micah. 

To cut costs, it seems that the DPS has employed a dummy cop (no pun intended) to stand guard at the front, scaring off the baddies who have come for justice in the off hours. Or girls in skirts wanting to take a pretty picture. I think even in wedges I can outrun that guy.

Coloring Outside the Lines

I have been trying to expand my shopping arena. 

I shop like I order food. I may peruse the menu, but I always go back to my original order. The one I get every time. Same with shopping. I go to the same few stores over and over again, and neglect glaringly obvious ones. 

Take Kohl's for instance. I knew they had 'celebrity lines' but I usually find those a little much, and ridiculously overpriced because there's a famous name on the tag. I walked into Kohl's the other day on the hunt for a navy and white striped maxi dress and ran across the LC Lauren Conrad line. Once I started looking at the styles (and the prices!) I wondered why I hadn't stopped at Kohl's before?

I have always liked her style, and she never has an unflattering moment. She is the perfect balance of the girl next door and the girl you always wished you could be, and her style is relatable, approachable and translates to real life flawlessly.

As for the product, the quality is much better than I would have expected, and the colors and prints all translate well in real life. The pink dress above actually has a faint cream polka dot print, and the florals are all very detailed and richly colored. The fit is questionable with many of the items, namely the dresses, but then again, Lauren Conrad I am not :)

As I wandered through the pastel and floral infused selections, I started getting a little overwhelmed with all the items I would buy with an unlimited budget. I reigned myself in and chose a few items to try on, hoping for a miracle. 

It so happened that most everything I tried on needed to be sized up or down, so I went to the interwebs, hoping for more luck. I ordered a few of the pieces seen here, and fingers crossed they work!

Check out more of her style and tutorials on beauty, decor and food on her website, as well as Pinterest! There are a ton of things I want to try, and no better time than the present to get started.

A Sunday Kind of Love: Mini Prints

I'm a sucker for patterns.

Like the magpie, the more color, the more detail, the better. Mini prints, especially animal prints, are quite popular this season, which is making it hard on my wallet. I have been browsing the interwebs and have come across several prints I would happily add to my closet!

Check out some cute little kitties, horses and elephants I've come across.

A Sunday Kind of Love: Must Love Mustard

I have developed an addiction. Normally you put this on your hot dog at the ballpark. I however, prefer to wear it on my bottom half to anywhere I please. It's mustard. Being blonde with fair skin, I tend to shy away from yellow in fear that I would blend completely with the color.

Not the case anymore.

Granted, I always make sure to have a layer or two of self tanner on, but I do love this color. I catch myself picking up mustard colored items in every store, only to tell myself to chill out and put it back before I start getting into dangerous 'old lady who wears nothing but yellow' territory. 

Here are some pieces that I've been eyeing lately.

A Sunday Kind of Love: Navy and Coral

It's a boy! It's a girl! It's... them all grown up.

I cannot get my mind off of navy and coral. The color combination is heavenly to me. I'm not a fan of pink at all, but these two together sing to me! Also, both colors are universally flattering. With fair skin, light hair and light eyes, many colors don't gel with my natural color scheme. So I essentially have found my coloring nirvana.

Now, this isn't something I do often because this little site is a black hole for me, but there is no better place to go than Pinterest to find inspiration in picture form. I will be attempting to incorporate as much of this into my wardrobe as possible.

On a side note, as I type this, my husband exclaims "I can't get my mind off of navy and coral either!!!" I'd wollop him but I'm too busy Pinteresting.

Some inspiration:

I actually had thrifted a shirt with a similar print in a minty green and mustard yellow, but the fit was so funky when I belted it or tucked it into anything, I returned it. So I am SO pumped to find this in my favorite color combo with a very similar print! This would go perfectly with a yellow skirt I just thrifted. Just tuck it in and pair it with a scarf.

A Sunday Kind of Love: Recent Buys

Since the camera hunt is going to be a bit delayed, I'm posting some items that I have recently added to my closet. My goal is to pick things I would have NEVER given a second look before.

White is something I naturally stray away from because I feel like I usually blend with the shirt. The print was just too cute to pass up!

White Bird Top- Old Navy (gifted- Thanks Mom!)

A blue jean shirt? I live in Texas, where they wear them with blue jeans and boots for the fancy nights out.This is so soft and comfortable, and surprisingly thin, so it keeps you covered AND cool!

Chambray Shirt- Old Navy