Love: Grey

As a lover a neutrals, my wardrobe, accessories, and color palettes contain a lot of grey. Grey by its very nature is incredibly versatile, it can be cozy-casual, professional, and sophisticated chic. Depending on your own style, grey can be the base for your look, but it is definitely strong enough to stand all on its own. Unlike black, which can be striking, the shades of grey lend themselves to an appealing softness. I suspect this is why I have just as many LGD's as LBD's!

These are all grey things that I own and use frequently:

1. She looks so happy to have this awesome shirt!
2. Essie - Master Plan
3. OPI - You Don't Know Jacque
4. ULTA - Finely Pruned
5. A Versatile Kohl Style Liner - Great for Everyday Wear
6. Budget Friendly Neutral Palette
7. Comfortable Shoe for Work & Casual Looks
8. (Similar) Flattering Classic Dress
9. So Great I Bought it in Both Colors!
10. (Similar) Soft, Chic, and Cozy Sweater
11. A Pant for Every Occasion - I Have These in Both Colors as Well
12. Great Tights at a Great Price

How To: Cuff a Sleeve

Being tall definitely comes with many advantages, however finding clothes with long enough sleeve and pant length isn't one of them. Some manufacturers have started coming out with Tall lines for women, but they seem to think that not only are our arms and legs longer, but so are our crotches and armpits?!? Oddly enough, when I do happen to find a shirt with freak sleeves long enough for my arms it feels so weird that I just roll them up, anyway. 

So, with years of sleeve rolling practice this is my tried and true way of getting the best results from a cuff. It holds firmly and looks a little mussed up and carefree, to boot! Bonus: if your inner cuff is a different color or pattern, this cuff helps display it instead of hiding it like most typical rolling does.

1. Start with your sleeve pulled straight down. No, that isn't a 3/4 sleeve shirt! That's just where most sleeves hit - above my wrist. 
2. Next, flip the sleeve inside out and pull the base of the shirt cuff to just below your elbow.
3. Finally flip the bottom edge up to about halfway across the exposed inner shirt cuff, and give it a little tszujs, VOILA!

This cuff works great under sweater as well and gives the cuff a little substance and decorative flair.

*Disclaimer, no shirts were ironed for the making of this blog post.

Nail Polishes: The Length of my Obsession

If I was down to ten dollars with a week yet til pay day and no food in the house, I would likely spend $8 on a new nail polish and the remaining $2 on ramen...aaaaand be perfectly content with that decision. I'm not quite sure what it is, but with all the polish I have I still feel a burning need to acquire more; this shade but with a touch more red or this shade with a little more grey - less purple - no sparkles - more muted....and on and on and so fourth. The worst part is, these options are out there! The colors that you seek and more keep coming every season. There are new colors and trends, but then you also use up all your classics and favorites and need to replenish.  It is truly an endless cycle. I decided to put my love to the test and measure out my nail polish basket. This basket is where I store all of my nail care items and polishes. Whenever it is too full, I force myself to purge and share or toss to make room for the new additions. If I did not have this measuring tool, my habit would easily double and triple and I would likely die of a heart attack from the over does of sodium on a ramen diet!

Here she is...for reference this table is 8' long:

Wardrobe Staples: Chambray Shirts

This one is for all the readers out there, ladies and gentlemen! A chambray shirt is a closet staple, dress it up or down - it will be one of the most versatile pieces in your closet. Being in the denim family, it looks great with any color or texture and is pretty foolproof. It lends itself to a laid back vibe that is approachable and comfortable even with dressy attire and its durability offers a casual ruggedness. 

1. J.Crew Classic Ladies
2. J.Crew Factory Chambray Camp
3. BDG Vintage Beauty
4. Womens Levi's Classic
5. Lands End Plus Size Ladies
6. Old Navy Wallet Friendly
7. American Apparel Unisex

1. Lands End Work Shirt
2. American Apparel Unisex
3. Old Navy Regular Fit
4. Mens Levi's Classic

Chambray also comes in a variety of colors, so once you cross the basic blue off of your list, go ahead and pick up a black, grey, red, or whatever and know it is guaranteed to look great!

Eyebrow Magic - For Blondes and Redheads

Having fair coloring and being of the strawberry blonde persuasion has lead to an easy life in regard to hair removal. Thankfully, I do not have to shave my legs often, worry about furry arms or make multiple waxing appointments every month to have hair ripped from its cozy follicles. However, this comes with certain drawbacks, mainly, invisible hair that looks best visible: eyebrows and eyelashes.

For a couple of decades, I walked around with completely invisible eyebrows until I had the idea to dye my strawberry blonde hair a dark brunette. Once that was done, the lack of eyebrows was ridiculously prominent and my stylist threw some dye on them as well. Voila! What a difference it made...kind of...they were brown but very fine, though a nice coat of brown mascara remedied that. A few months later I decided that the brown was not flattering and I went back to my natural hair color, but kept the brown eyebrows...awkward! 

I tried many different options - some powder fillers, eyeliners, more dying - but none of the options filled them out, colored the existing brows and color matched. Finally, I found this, a miracle in a tube! It fills in the sparseness, matches my natural hair color, and put color on the actual hairs instead of being a layer under the glowing white hairs in light. The best part is, I can put it on in a general swipe and refine the shape with a damp Q-tip to get perfect arches. This also helps as a guide to pluck away all the unnecessary "invisible" hairs that catch the sunlight.

Great Coats Under $300

A great coat is a winter necessity. Since it is the piece you will wear almost every day and is the first thing people will see when you meet them during the cold season, it makes a big impression. You are also dependent on it to keep you warm while looking great. When I buy a coat, I expect it to last at least three winters - if not more. A few years ago, with the help of a coupon, I invested in the Thinsulate lined tall version of the classic wool J.Crew coat; it has not let me down in terms of warmth or appearance. I expect to have it at least three more years. I found these coats that I think will keep you warm and chic well into next winter: 

My Coat (but mine is petrol blue from a few years ago) - This is under $300 if you use a coupon which J.Crew offers for signing up for email, or just every few weeks on their site.

1. Great Color and Collar
2. Pretty Puffer
3. Fantastic Faux Fur
4. Perfect in Persimmon
5. Cute Color Blocks
6. Thats A Wrap

Fall Fundamentals

Every girl knows each season holds it’s own special influence on our dressing, we build our looks from a steady stable of fundamental pieces. At least one of my fall fundamentals appear in 9 out of 10 of my outfits, some times I may be layered up and every one!

1.Boots

2.Leoppies

3.Scarves

4.Cardigans

5.Blazers

6.Skinny Jeans

7.Trench

A year round staple that needs to be included is a great pair of sunglasses!

Classic!