Wetsuits - Yay or Nay?

Lately, I have been doing a lot of bathing suit "shopping". Even browsing online,  without the harsh fluorescent fitting room lights, it's a demoralizing process. I do, however, think that I have come up with a solution to my very long list of suit requirements. These include: full rear-end coverage (top and bottom), clingy three year old pull down resistant, doesn't draw attention to my minimal chest - extra points if it makes it look like I have a hint of cleavage, and nothing sleazy or desperate looking. Bonus if it rings up under $200. Impossible, right?!?! Then I stumbled upon these super cute wetsuits. The one I really want seems to be unavailable anywhere (so last season), but there are a number of other cute options. I wonder though if it's weird to wear a wetsuit to the local community pool with your preschooler? Does it matter what other people think if I'm comfortable? If I think I look cool without being embarrassingly overexposed, then I am leaning towards.... Go for it!

1. Is from a Cynthia Rowley/Roxy Collaboration in 2010 and my dream ( I also love the similar color way below it, but can't track it down to buy either... )
2. The only non Cynthia Rowley Suit

Nail Polish: Butter - Artful Dodger

I never considered myself a blue nail polish person -- they were all overshadowed by a bad stint with some shimmery cobalt in high school. Apparently, my BFF knew better than I did when she gifted me this hue for Christmas - I adore it! It's a muted shade with a yellow undertone and smooth creamy finish. It has garnered many compliments from strangers and has managed to remain at the top of my polish basket.

Butter - Artful Dodger

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.

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!

Easy Chic: Comfy Dresses

With all of the holiday eating that is going on between meats & cheeses, cookies, and fancy cocktails we could all use some comfortable attire. That doesn't mean you can't look good while stuffing your face, visiting family, and driving to the country. While it is easy to slip on your favorite jeans and a nice top and necklace, it is just as easy to pull over a cute dress, throw on a cardigan, and slide into your favorite boots. Not only will you be cozy, everyone will be impressed that you are dressed a step above. The most important part of this wardrobe staple is its versatility, its comfort, and its lack of care needed (no ironing!!!!). Here are a few to get you started, mix them up by layering necklaces, scarves and cardigans. Tights are highly recommended with your favorite flats and boots.

1. Monochrome Shift
2. It's a Sweatshirt Dress!
3. Incredibly Versatile
4. Preppy Classic
5. Feminine and Flirty
6. Cool Color-block (also in all black)

Effervescent Nails!

Base Color: Essie Marshmallow
Grey Spots: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Wet Cement
Gold Spots: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Time to Shine (which appears to no longer be available, any gold will do)
Top Coat: Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

I just used the tip of a pencil to dip in nail polish blogs that I dropped on a piece of paper...very low tech operation here in the fox den.

Fox Yeah!

So my forever favorite seems to be the darling of the fashion community this winter with foxes popping up all over the place. Taylor Swift was just spotted at the zoo rocking a fox sweater and Tory Burch has a whole line of products dedicated to the fabulous red fox. In case you want to get in on the action I have assembled a large collection of fox finds, most are pretty easily attainable, while a few are definitely for hard core fox lovers like myself. (Number 2 & 9 are my top picks.)

1. Sweater 1
2. Sweater 2
3. Sweater 3
4. Sweater 4
5. Top 5
6. Top 6
7. Top 7
8. Top 8
9. Super Crazy Awesome Flats 9
10. Scarf 10
11. Dress 11

A Post for the Men: Socks

Ok guys, this is a pretty cheap and easy redo to your wardrobe, although depending on how into it you get it could get expensive. That said, here are a few options at reasonable prices to get your toes wet... errr keep them warm and dry?

Here is the deal, plain black dress socks just show how boring and uninspired you are, and white socks show you are just plain old lazy. Add a little bit of easy style to your wardrobe and the ladies will think you are a dapper dude who gives a shit about his appearance, which means he is a guy that gives a shit about things in general....that is a good quality to have!

Be bold! Be brave, take the dive and I promise you will garner compliments from the ladies in your life, hopefully not just from your mom....

1. Cheap and easy, go ahead and order multiples of craziest colors.
2. Yikes! Stripes!
3. Spots and Dots 
4. Hip To Be Square

Colors! - Noir Edition

With winter coming most of us are likely pulling out our warm, cozy, and reliable black layers. Why not spruce up your moody-broody winter black with some pops of color! Here are a few suggestions to get you started, but don't forget about the impact some bold make-up can have, a little bit of color can go a long way to making you stand out in the crowd.

I Want to Party!

I have kept these tabs open way to long but I can't give up hope, I want this to be my holiday party look!

1. ArtiChic Dress
2. Apropos-priate Accessory
3. A Little Bit of Peacocking Can Be a Very Good Thing!

Double-Crosser Scarf Tie

This scarf tie works great with regular-old scarves, they can be winter-weight or light-weight,  cotton or wool, because the emphasis is on the tie around the neck. It is also great for adding a little flair under coats, jackets, blazers or cardigans. Unless you have a very long scarf it might look a little off on its own as it ends up with shorts end, great for tucking under a top layer.

1. Start with the scarf behind your neck about 3/4 of it going to one side.
2. Next wrap the scarf around one time.
3. Adjust the tightness around your neck.
4. Drop your hand over and into the loop you just made.
5. Pop your hand under the hanging side, so it is over the loop and under the tail.
6. Grab the other hanging tail in your looped hand.
7. Pull completely through the hole your hand was previously occupying.
8. Give both ends a tug and tuck under your jacket, coat, blazer, etc...
9. Ta-Da! The final product.

Nail Polish: Essie - beyond cozy

What a lovely way to welcome winter with a bit of comfortable glam! I suspect this bottle will be used up by February.

Essie - beyond cozy

How To Tie A Scarf - Fancy Cowgirl

Start with  large rectangular scarf:

1. First hang the scarf around the neck with approx. 2/3 hanging over your shoulder on one side, while grabbing the top corner of the other, tuck the corner under to form a triangle across your chest.
2. Pull the longer side to allow for enough scarf to wrap around your neck.
3. Next wrap the longer side loosely around your neck one time.
4. Repeat the first step on the other side grabbing a corner and tucking it under the wrapped portion around your neck to form an overlapping triangle.
5. Ta-Da! You can use safety pins or a brooch to hold this wrap in place or just re-tuck the corners throughout the day, depending on the texture of your scarf you may not need the pins.

This wrap looks great layered under coats or just on its own, it is generally my go-to wrap if the scarf is going to be a day long accessory and not just for cold weather layering. This tie works well with large scarves and many different weights.

Birthday Foxes

Fox Blouse Detail

Today is my birthday and I share it with my twin sister. We are full-on identical twins, which is awesome; we both feel bad for people that don't have twins because we can't imagine life without each other. Happy Birthday, Terrie, I love you and think you are the best! This year I have received some fox-themed birthday gifts and wishes, but my absolute favorite came from my absolute favorite twin sister. It is a pretty sweet fox blouse that I've had my eye on. I had my husband take a few pictures for me to share because my look today showcases the majority of my blog posts so far in action while highlighting my foxy gift.

Fall Essentials in Action: Boots and Blazer

Hair Tip: Day 2 of Waves and Dry Shampoo

In case you want a fox blouse of your own:
Super Cute Fox Blouse!

I also woke up to this little guy on a handmade card from my husband:

The Ultimate Mixed Neutral - Leopard!

I have an affinity for mixed neutrals and have been rocking black-brown combinations for over a decade, long before Gwyneth stepped out in it. Black, brown, grey, tan, cream, & white are just begging to be mixed by their very nature. If they go with anything, why not each other? By far, the ultimate mixed neutral is leopard print! There is fine line between a great leopard print, and a Nana or trashy leopard. Let’s explore...

1.Covet

2.Splurge

3.Cute and Affordable

4.Flair Accessory 

5.Subtle Accessory

6.SWOON (leoppies!)

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!