Glitter is My Favorite Color

There is nothing that makes me happier than a fully glittered shoe, pant, skirt, top, purse or cell phone case. 

Actually, fully glittered ANYTHING pretty much makes my day. (Shout out to my girl, Julie, who loves all things glitter as much as I do! Pictured below at her bachelorette party!).

Find Julie's sequin and tulle dress, here. 

I never thought it was possible to wear a fully sequined shirt to work until I gave it a spin last year. I wore this J. Crew sequined top (pictured below) with a nice pair of Gap khaki pants and a chambray collared shirt underneath. I knew I had nailed my outfit when my sweet coworker and BFF, Sarah, told me that it was "her favorite outfit I'd ever worn." SHE knows her stuff, so this was a huge compliment.

Here is a fabulous alternative (from Banana Republic) to my older J. Crew Factory shirt.

Also, can we please talk about this amazing (pictured below) fully-sequined bronze blazer from B-rep? I am so impressed by the current Banana pieces for the holiday season!

I recently became obsessed with finding these glitter Ann Taylor gold pants (below). I blame Maria for this (haha), but they really are beautiful. However, there was no sign of them at the Naperville or Geneva Ann Taylor, and they were totally sold out online. I was so sad!

[Addendum: I was just searching again while editing my post, and I see that Ann Taylor has one size left in the sequin pants! See them here! Sadly,  not my size, but maybe they're yours!]

Until, however, my dear friend, Jamie, came to the rescue. She'd seen similar ones at Target back home in Ohio and picked up a pair for me.  The best part about a sequined pant or skirt is that all you need on top is a plain shirt. It can be plain black (to contrast the gold or silver) or white to embrace a "winter white" look.

Here is a phenomenal option of sequin leggings from Nordstroms.

The Target ones are not available online, but you can find them in the junior's section of your local store. 

I have also been totally melting for these fully sequined skirts.

These two are under $50 from Mindy Mae's Market, an online boutique that has amazing deals and trends. I have purchased two idiom tee shirts (gifts for my sis and bestie) from MMM, and the shipping is extremely fast and FREE!

Check out the great $49.99 price tag on this gold stunner.

Shop this beauty, here.

My dear friend, Mandy, sent me these great skirts from Banana the other day.

I foresee many a NYE being celebrated in this one!

Currently, Banana Republic has a 40% off sale happening! Scoop this up for December 31!

This bronze sequined skirt looks perfect with a cozy, chunky sweater. 

It is demure enough in this bronze color to be worn to work. 

J. Crew Factory never lets me down. This gorgeous skirt is $70 currently and available online. 

If you don't know if you could be as daring as fully sequined pieces, I challenge you to add in a little sparkle in a more subtle way. I wear this skirt (below) so often! It is about 3 years old, but J. Crew Factory just re-released another design of it, here. 

Julie, Alison and me! 

This pleated skirt with a ruffle is another fantastic alternative to fully sequined. You can step cautiously into the realm of sparkle with this one.

Add a statement necklace to your simple top (crisp, collared shirts or chambray work wonders paired with sequins, too), and you have the perfect outfit!

My advice for fully sequined skirts is to stay at pencil fit and knee length to avoid looking to "clubby."  I, for one, can no longer rock my fully sequined Express mini skirts of my days at Fever or Tao Night Club in Vegas :-)  Plus, it adds class and sparkle simultaneously to your look.


How do you incorporate sequins into your clothing regime?
xxoo
Mary

Travelling for the Holiday(s): What to Pack?

We are lucky enough to travel home over Thanksgiving to see my family in Youngstown, Ohio. My sister (and her baby bump), my brother-in-law, their dog, Cooper, my husband and I will be taking off (road trip!) for Ohio Tuesday after work.  When it comes to winter travel, packing is often the most arduous part, particularly if it's unseasonably cold (or warm!).

Above: Cooper on our road trip last Christmas.

In order to make packing for your trip a little easier, consider these hints:

First, decide what your main events will be, and choose the outfits for those.

For our Thanksgiving trip, I know on Wednesday I will be meeting my best friend's new baby, Miura. One of my favorite "dressier" sweatshirts is this J. Crew crewneck sweatshirt with the ruffle hem (below).  The best part is you can layer any color underneath the gray. J. Crew Factory just came out with a sequin hem crewneck sweatshirt (picture below) that is equally adorable (mine is last year's).

At my first dress fitting in February with Mandy, Beth and Anna!

We will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my mom's on Thursday. I am going to incorporate some sparkle into my outfit because to me, when is a BAD time to wear sequins? ;-)

Above: at Penrose Brewery with my girls Mandy and Kelly. 

My shirt is old J.Crew Factory; however, you can find similar ones here and here. 

Friday is my 10-year high school class reunion. I will be wearing this black lace Lilly Pulitzer dress. (Below). Here is a great alternative (mine is a few years old).

Saturday we are celebrating Thanksgiving with my dad's side of the family in Findlay, Ohio. I plan on wearing my new tartan scarf from The Initial Co. and styling it something like Courtney did on her website!

They are all sold out of this fabulous scarf at the Initial Co., but here it is on Tuckernuck's website! The best part of this tartan scarf is that I can wear it with so many different colors. 

Once you know the main components of your itinerary, you can pack with much more ease.

Also, pack shoes or boots that are multi-purpose; it's better if your shoes you bring can be worn dressy or casual.

Similar Tory Burch Reva Ballet Flats here.

Sofft brown booties, here. 

After you've compiled the "main" events' clothing, decide if you'll be working out on your trip. If so, you'll need the appropriate shoes and work-out garb.

We are going to Pure Barre in Youngstown (taught by one of my former dance teachers!) on Wednesday, pre-Turkey.  I'll try to hit up my mom's Pilates Reformer a few times in the basement, too (the operative word being TRY-- hehe).  Similar capris: here. Tank top here! Sticky socks: found here.


Finally, think about your down time and what you'd like to wear during those hours. When I am home at my mom's, my best times are sat snuggling on the couch in comfy pajamas with a glass of wine in hand. I love my mom and step-dad's fireplace. To me, their fireplace indicates home, holidays and family (and the fact that my mom keeps her house at approximately 40 degrees Fahrenheit-- haha!).

Furthermore, consider the drive or flight to your destination. On Tuesday, I will be leaving directly from work to scoop up the hubs and head down to Chicago to meet Anna and Shawn.  Typically, my travelling uniform is Lululemon Wunder Under pants and a Saint Mary's tee shirt.

Loving this adorable new SMC tee-- there's a sale on the Saint Mary's College bookstore site: $10 off any $50 purchase and $25 off $100! 

Don't forget your festive jammies!

There's a 50% sale going on currently on J. Crew Factory online. Time to stock up! 

These are my favorite buffalo plaid jammie pants from J. Crew Factory-- and they are on sale for $21!


And the best "short trip" bag I've ever owned is my Vera Bradley large duffel bag. It is the perfect size for 3-5 days and traveling by car.

Where are you headed this Thanksgiving? May your travels be safe and your Thanksgiving meal be filled with family and love.

xxoo
Mary