Tuesday, February 28, 2012

top 5 tuesday: pretty pins

I'm in a bit of a random mood today so my blog post will have a bit of a random undertone to it, mmkay? Cool. Do you follow me on Pinterest? If not, you should. If you need an invite, send me an email aprilanne147 AT hotmail DOT com and I'll send one your way. (I only have a limited number though.)

Anywho, I recently re-organized and renamed a few of my boards and have started following some interesting pinners. HA! So, for today's Top 5 Tuesday, I'm sharing with you 5 of my favorite recent pins on Pinterest.

Source: pbteen.com via April on Pinterest
These monogrammed rings from PBTeen are adorable. Too bad they are so expensive...ugh.
Oh, Matthew Crawley. Even though you are fictional and probably not nearly as chivalrous in real life, but I still hope that there are some men in the world who share most of your personality traits...and perhaps your blonde hair and blue eyes. ;)

This house. So beautiful and symmetrical with a wide front porch and rocking chairs. I heart.
 If you look past the fact that this couple has sort of an American Gothic vibe to it because they aren't really smiling, however, the bride's cardigan and statement necklace are seriously SO cute.
Put this one in my wedding notebook. Heh.
Source: google.com via April on Pinterest
This room, with its seagrass and rattan elements and french blue and white theme makes me swoon. I'm not sure I could keep my couch this white...with a dog that likes to sleep on it, but I could try REEEEAAAALLLLYYYY hard.

Aight y'all. Have a good Tuesday. :)

 


Monday, February 27, 2012

favorite things VLOG

Happy Monday, friends!! I've got a loverly VLOG for y'all today about some of my favorite things. In this VLOG I tagged a few of my bloggy peeps, but I couldn't remember everyone off the top of my head, so consider YOURSELF tagged. ;)

Wanna participate? Make your own video blog (VLOG) and show the following 4 favorite things:
1) Something old
2) Something new
3) Something small
4) Something food

Post your VLOG and link it back to me so I can watch!! Enjoy...


Oh, and I'm starting the new jobbity job at the aquarium today. I'm so excited!

Friday, February 24, 2012

instaFriday!

Happy Friday y'all! Whew, am I glad it's the weekend, aren't you? Well, for today's InstaFriday I've got a few pretty instagram photos to share. Let's not waste any more time, shall we?


I made this li'l number over the weekend. I was inspired by some chunky charm-esque necklaces that I'd seen lately and knew I had all the stuff to make one...on the cheap. ;) So, I did. And I had everything already. Call me Martha.


We've been having beautiful weather as of late. On Saturday morning I went for a walk on the beach and it was just gorgeous. So beautiful.


Also over the week, Patty, my car hit the 40,000 miles. It was a big milestone for her and her 5 years of life. I may or may not have celebrated this fact with a cupcake. Just sayin...


Forgive the whiteness of the feet. They are slightly less white in the summer...however the weather was so dang nice that I busted out the peep toe pumps...in February. Don't be jealous if you're still living in Ugg boots and Northface Fleeces. ;)

Linking up with Jeannett this week for Insta Friday.



I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

the perfect dress for your body type

Dress season is almost upon us and we must be diligent about shopping for styles that jive with how the good Lord made us.

I've wanted to do this post for some time now. I recently became acquainted with the Eloquii line of clothing by The Limited. I really love some of the pieces and their concept behind wearing clothes for your body type.

It is generally accepted that there are around 5 different body types that most women fall under: Teardrop (often called a Pear), Diamond, Hourglass (or Infiniti), Heart (often called an Apple) and Emerald.

Below are each of the 5 body types and some spring/summer dress selections that are recommended for that type.

dresses for teardrops



Teardrops are shaped, well, like a teardrop. Smaller up top with fuller hips and thighs. Or, a badonk, to put it frankly. ;) The key here is to minimize the lower half with straight or a-line cuts and darker colors. You want to emphasize the upper part of your body with patterns, detail and color. Emphasizing the waistline also helps to balance out the overall look.

dresses for diamonds

Diamonds are shaped like a whole diamond...with a larger mid-section and smaller upper and lower halves. Generally, diamonds carry the most weight around the middle. The key for dress shopping for diamonds is emphasizing the upper and lower portions of your body with cowl necklines and straighter hems. If the dress looks straight up-and-down on the hanger, it will probably work.  Anything that slims over the mid section while emphasizing the chest/neck and legs will look great on diamonds.

dresses for hourglass

Hourglass girls are shaped like an hourglass. The waist/mid section is small and your chest and hips are about the same size. These ladies can wear most clothing well, but the best styles are any dresses that have some sort of emphasize on the middle portion. A gathered waist, a belt, an elastic waistband, anything that draws attention to the smallest part of your body will be the best fit for hourglasses.

dresses for hearts

If your top half is generally larger than your bottom half, you're known as a Heart. Hearts should stick with flared or a-line dress styles that will balance out a heavier upper half. Darker colors on top and light colors, prints or detail on the lower half will also help to balance you out. Deep v-necks and assymetrical necklines are especially striking on Hearts.

dresses for emeralds

Emeralds are pretty much the same size on top, middle and bottom. Some refer to this as an athletic or boyish figure. Personally, I think you're pretty lucky with this because you can wear all the dresses that I swoon over! :) The key for Emeralds is to wear something that is flared, fitted or has a empire waist with lots of detail (ruching, ruffles, etc) to fake a curvy figure. Straight or shift dresses really won't do much for your figure if you're an Emerald. You can wear empire waisted dresses without looking like you're with child. And I pretty much hate you for it.

Okay, not really, but I am slightly jealous that you can wear that lime green floral dress. It would look like absolute poo on me. So, I'll live vicariously through y'all. HA!

If you're unsure of which category you fall into, you can measure your waist, bust and hips and then use the guide on Eloquii to see where you fall. Note: this is a plus sized clothing website that is part of the Limited brand, so the Style My Shape tool works for any sized gal. It will tell you which you'd fall under based on the difference of your measurements. For example, a Teardrop's hips are at least 10 inches larger than her waist. An Hourglass' waist is less than 10 inches smaller than her hips and bust. You get the idea. Now, the only problem is for those of us that fall into 2 categories. Ugh. Oh well.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

OOTD: copycats

For today's OOTD post, I'm sharing 2 outfits that were inspired by other outfit photos I pinned on Pinterest. I really enjoyed replicating these outfits and might just start using photo inspiration in the future!

The first outfit is a copy of a photo I pinned of a maxi skirt outfit. So cute. Looking back on this now, I'd probably change up the necklace for something else. I'm not digging this long strand. I'd probably choose something as little more chunky and shorter. Heh.

Top: No name from Marshalls
Tank: Rue 21
Skirt: Old Navy
Necklace: Um...found?

The second outfit replicates a Kate Spade look that I have always adored. I swapped a chunky teal necklace for the orange floral necklace in the photo...mostly because I didn't have anything floral...or orange. Oh well, I made do.

Cardigan: Gap
Striped Tee: Old Navy
Necklace: Handmade from the Charleston Market

I don't have white pants. Well, I do, but it's February and y'all know you don't wear true white until after Easter. ;) Anywho, that's all I've got for today. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Linking up with Lindsey @ The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday! 


Tuesday, February 21, 2012

freebie iPhone wallpapers

I so enjoyed making the Valentine's themed iPhone wallpapers last month that I decided to do a few more this time around...except make them more appropriate for everyday. I like how they turned out. :) Click to open or right-click to Save As.

Enjoy!








Monday, February 20, 2012

updates on life and blog

Hello friends. Happy Monday!

Blog Updates: I hope you enjoyed last week's fashion posts. I definitely enjoyed writing them. Over the last month or so I tried keeping to a blog schedule (specified posts on certain days) and I realized that I just don't love it. I like being a little more random with my posts. I like be able to post about what's on my mind or what I'm enjoying at the moment. So, I won't be sticking to a regular blog post topic schedule anymore. Oh, I'll still be blogging throughout the week, but it won't exactly be set posts. I hope that's okay with y'all. I feel it's just more true to ME. Because I'm random and all. HA!

Also, I'm going to focus more on growing my blog readership. So, you might be seeing a few more link-up party posts because those seem to be the best way to grow my readership. I've tried sponsoring other blogs in the past, but I've seen far more results from weekly link ups.

Life Updates: About a week ago I was offered a job...seemingly out of the blue. Now, I already have a job and wasn't looking around for something else and this just kind of came out of the blue. This job is, well, basically it's a dream job. It's something I've always imagined myself doing and to be given the opportunity to do so makes me feel like I need to pinch myself.

The problem: The position, for the time being, is part-time. Unfortunately, I don't have a wealthy benefactor who supports me financially enough to where I can work part-time only. (another word for this wealthy benefactor is a husband...;) So, I was faced with quite a choice. Dream job that's only part-time or full-time job that may or may not evolve into a "career".

I spoke with my current job and told them the dilemma (more or less). They graciously agreed to allow me to work part-time for them while I work part-time at the dream job. Praise the Lord. No kidding. So, now I'll be working 2 part-time jobs M-F 8-5 instead of just 1 full-time job.

Yes, I realize that there are a lot of hurdles I'm going to have to face. I'm going to be working a lot more for less pay and I'll have to pay for my own benefits, but honestly, I really, REALLY feel like this is what I'm supposed to be doing. I feel like all the doors that have opened (and shut) for me since I've moved to Wilmington are intentional and purposeful and all part of God's master plan. I know He has plans to prosper me and that His will is sovereign.

I start my new job next Monday. I'm so excited to see how this next chapter in my life will unfold and I'm confident that God will continue to bless me along the way.

And the dream job? It's working as an Assistant Public Relations Coordinator for this place on THIS BEACH!! Literally, on the point of the beach and at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. I'll see the ocean everyday at work and I'll be around animals. I'm so excited!

Well, that's all the "news" I have for now. Have a wonderful Monday!

Friday, February 17, 2012

fashion week: color theories

Today's Fashion Week post focuses specifically on an issue that seems to plague many women: how to wear color well. Notice I said "well" and not "correctly" because, as much as I or any other fashion blogger might try to infer, there are no fashion rules. Fashion is a statement about you, your taste, your mood, etc and it is what you make it...or don't make it. Someone can commit a fashion "don't" but it really is only a "don't" because the person mentioning it doesn't agree with their choice.

So, with that, I want to talk about how to wear and incorporate color into your wardrobe...and do it well. Color, for many people, is a love-hate detail in fashion. Maybe you love when it comes together in an outfit and it works, but you hate figuring out how to put it together. For others, color is like a second skin and it's easy to incorporate it into their fashion sense. And yet for others, they are somewhere in between.

I want to offer a few color guidelines that I go by personally that may help anyone who is color-phobic or color-challenged.

1) Utilize the color wheel. I know this seems simple. But clothing, that is colored, can be thought of as parts of the color wheel and color combinations can be chosen using this method.

Pinned Image
Via StumbleUpon (click to view larger)

Think of the "look" you are going for when in an outfit before pairing colors. In general, you can get away with combinations of any primary color and it's immediate 2 tertiary colors. For example, you can use blue and purple or blue and aqua/teal easily because they are close together on the color wheel. Primary colors are also very nice when paired with their immediate secondary colors. For example, you could try yellow with green. Both of these combinations are fairly easy and intuitive. Now, you can pretty much try ANY color combination but there are some that should be approached with caution for a color novice. More than 2 primary colors in an outfit can be very bold, and if this isn't the look you are going for, you might want to proceed with caution. Also, combinations of direct opposites on the color wheel can be difficult to pull off sometimes. For example, red and green; blue and orange; or yellow and purple. Notice that the former two are often school colors. Why? Because they are a striking combination. One exception to this rule is when you are using various saturations of colors...or the shade of it.

2) Saturation/Shade is key. Why do all colors of pastels virtually work together? (Think all of the colors in Easter M&Ms) Because they are all lighter shades of colors. Now, imagine that the pastel M&Ms were altered to be the original color. (Pink was red, lilac was purple, mint was green, etc) It's a lot harder to look at and even conceive wearing in the natural state. Saturation is the process of adding black or white to a color to make it darker or lighter. So, blue with black added to it makes dark blue, or navy blue. Green with white added to it makes light green or a mint green. Saturation also has to do with the amount of "gray" in a color. The more vibrant a color, the more saturated it is. A muted red, for example, has black and white added to it to make it less vivid and more subtle. So, colors that vary in shades/saturations are also easy to put together. Remember when I said directly opposite colors are hard to pull off? Let's use red and green for example. Now, if that red was dialed back with some white and became pink then it would be a lot easier to wear with green. Pink and green is a great color combination. Or, how about orange and purple? Not direct opposites but fairly far away on the color wheel. Now, imagine darkening the purple and lightening the orange up a bit so you'd have more of a plum and melon combination. Perfect!! By playing with the shade or saturation of the color, you give yourself even more options in color combinations.

shade and saturation
3) Balance with neutrals. An all netural outfit is often boring. (Unless you're going for that look intentionally, or playing a symphony...) A neutral based outfit with a pop (or two) of color is stylish. Now, I'm not saying that a black pencil skirt and white oxford shirt isn't stylish, because those are two of fashion's bread-and-butter items, but they are a bit boring and yawn-worthy. In general, neutral wardrobe colors are considered black, brown, tan, white, gray and navy. Think about the colors that mens shoes and dress pants come in and that can help you figure out what neutrals are! HA! I'm a BIG fan of using neutrals as an outfit base and punching things up with color in the accessories, shoes or cardigans. Heck, even our Presidents incorporate this idea. They usually always wear a neutral colored suit and a white shirt and then will have a brightly colored tie. If THEY can get it, then you can!! A camel colored dress is very pretty on its own. Punched up with some bright red, coral accessories and you have a show-stopping outfit! In the same way, neutrals can also help to tone down otherwise bright color combinations. Let's say you're wearing a red blazer over a white and yellow blouse with red shoes. Wearing yellow pants would be a bit much here, so you might choose black or navy pants to wear it with.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

fashion week: celeb style icon


Welcome back to Fashion Week on ALOTAT! I'm so glad you've joined me! Today's post is all about honoring the fashion style of a celebrity actress that I would seriously love to be best friends with. Not only is she funny, gorgeous and adorkable but she also has great fashion sense.

I'm talking about Zooey Deschanel, of course! You can catch her on Fox's New Girl on Tuesday nights and she's also in one of my fave movies, Elf and is a singer in the band She + Him. What's not to love about her?!?!

Zooey's style is a little bit vintage, colorful, girly and classic. She's a fan of cardigans and flats. (go figure why I love her so much) Here are some of her different looks. (Click to view larger.)



What do you think about Zooey's style? Dig it? Loathe it? If you like this type of post, let me know and I might make it a fairly regular feature. Have a wonderful Thursday!

 

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

fashion week: splurge vs. steal


Thanks for stopping by again for another installment in Fashion Week on ALOTAT. Today we're going to look at how you can replicate designer looks for a lot less.

I call these posts "Splurge vs. Steal". One of the outfits below costs around $137 and the other is a whopping $1092! Can you guess which one is the Splurge and which one is the Steal?

splurge vs. steal red pants
If you guessed that the outfit on the right is the Steal, you guessed correctly!! Items from Macy's, H&M and Wet Seal replicate the $1000 outfit with ease.

Okay, now I have another one for you. Guess which is which?!?!

splurge vs. steal
The outfit on the left is the Steal here at around $122. The Splurge outfit costs QUITE a bit more at $1,731. With many big name designers doing lines for more affordable clothing retailers (like Jason Wu for Target, Missoni for Target and many more at Macy's) you can replicate designer looks for, literally, around a thousand or so LESS!

So if you see something in a magazine, don't worry about not being able to afford that "look". With a little searching, you can surely create your own version of it and still stay within your budget!

PS: I do not condone or promote stealing. I'm just using the word in its metaphorical sense. "It's a STEAL to get a look like this so inexpensively." Just so that's out there, you know, in case the crazies try to really steal this stuff. The end.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

fashion week: how to dress for a holiday


Well, since most of the major holidays tend to have a color scheme, people assume that wearing those colors is how to dress for that holiday. Well, that is BASICALLY true. But, wearing green jeans with a red sweater isn't the most stylish way to celebrate Christmas. (and don't even get me started on Christmas sweaters...) It is possible to wear holiday-appropriate colors and still look chic.

It's appropriate for today because, well, it's Valentine's Day. A holiday celebrated in red and pink. Now, many people would simply don every piece of red AND pink clothing in order to seem festive, but might I suggest an outfit that would seem festive without...urm...erring on the tacky side?

how to dress for the holidays tastefully

And I'm biased towards cold-weather holidays either...you can achieve a tasteful, yet festive look for Independence Day and Easter as well.

how to dress for the holidays and still be stylish
For the Fourth, the key is a statement piece...the red and white striped tee. Everything else is basically a neutral. For Easter, you almost always imagine pastels, right? Well, you can wear pastels without looking like a bowl of M&Ms. The key is sticking to no more than 3 pastel colors in one outfit. In this one, I've paired aqua and pale yellow and then deepened the aqua shade to teal for the shoes. The white tank balances out the colors. Now, if the tank were, say pastel pink or if the shoes were light blue, you might look a little too much like a decorated Easter egg. Side note: Dang, I want that Easter outfit for my closet!!

It's super-easy to incorporate the holiday spirit into your outfit without overdoing it. Think balance, neutrals and color combinations. For more on color combinations, tune in Friday for a special post about combining color together in your wardrobe.

Thanks for joining me today and Happy Valentine's Day, y'all! I'm celebrating by baking some brownies, eating a cheeseburger and watching The Notebook for the first time. Sometimes, you just can't beat being single on this holiday. HA!

Monday, February 13, 2012

fashion week: how to...


 Hey everyone!! Today is the first day of Fashion Week on A Little of This and That and this week of fashion posts and advice starts with a good ol' "How To".

A friend of mine posed a question for me on Facebook, "How do you wear navy pants?" Basically, she's treating navy like it is a color and not a neutral. But navy is a neutral. It can be worn with other neutrals just fine but it can also be worn with COLOR...which is my favorite. HA. Here are some examples:

how to wear navy pants
Navy pants can be paired with a neutral tank and a colorful cardigan. Of course, I love the idea of a funky shoe as well, but even if you don't, you can try a neutral shoe like in the outfit on the right. Navy is really cute with yellow (any shade from buttercup to mustard) and green (hunter to lime). Almost any shade of yellow and green works with navy blue. Why? What colors are the closest to blue on the color wheel? Yellow and green.

how to wear navy pants
Navy can really go with almost any color. I love it with a beautiful blushy coral blouse or with turquoise/aqua. Don't feel like you need to stay in the blues and greens for a color that "goes" with navy blue...it can also work with red.

how to wear navy pants with red
You don't have to save this color combo for the 4th of July because it doesn't ALWAYS come across as patriotic, you know? Pair your red with a neutral cardi or bag/shoes and you can safely avoid compelling people to recite the Pledge of Allegiance when they see you. Word of caution. I carefully chose a pale camel colored blazer and a light tan bag for these outfits because if you had chosen a white blazer/bag you might run the risk of looking like a Ralph Lauren Independence Day ad.

Hopefully, I've given you some ideas for how you can wear navy pants. Do you have any other fashion questions you'd like me to blog about? Shoot me an email and we'll talk about it. aprilanne147 [at] hotmail [dot] com.

Tune in tomorrow for another FASHION WEEK post on ALOTAT!

SEARCH THIS BLOG