Taking My Own Advice

Can you believe September is almost over??  Time is flying by, and pretty soon we'll all be complaining that it gets dark early.  I should be outside enjoying the daylight but I decided to write this instead.

Last week I was super inspired by Vivienne of Thrifted Shift, particularly this outfit.  So I decided to recreate the look with pieces from my closet!  I'm also following my own advice and making use of my maxi dresses for the fall.

dress: Target // sweater: Target // belt: LC Lauren Conrad // 

jacket: LC Lauren Conrad // necklace: borrowed // ring: Miner's Den

I don't know if you've noticed yet or not, but I haven't done a Tea Time post for September.  I decided to take a vacation from it this month to avoid getting overwhelmed.  I was also feeling uninspired with theme ideas.  However, I would like to do a Halloween themed post next month.  So I'll need your help!  Do you have a Halloween costume worth sharing?  Email it over and I would love to feature you!  Please submit your photos by Friday, October 19th to be included!

An Evening of Art

These pictures were taken a few weekends ago when I went to an art opening.  Right next to where I work is a tiny art gallery called 323East and they were having an opening reception for Matt Eaton.

blazer: Target // shirt: Express // jeans: LC Lauren Conrad // 

shoes: Target // necklace: Target // ring: Miner's Den // purse: Target

It was a great opening, and from what I hear there was a pretty good turn out of people.  Taken from 323East Gallery's website:

Befitting the originality of his talent, Matt Eaton is not the easiest artist to bracket or place within a particular genre. He is a master of abstract visuals, using the often overlooked elements of everyday existence to fashion works of subtle charm and undeniable beauty. However, an Eaton painting is anything but passive. His canvases have a muted boldness with lines and colors that seem to coil their strength until they become visible to the eyes of a patient viewer. Think of a charge of dynamite or gunpowder carefully primed for a fuse; the explosion comes when you catch the hitherto undetected fire beneath the cool surface. Eaton is always suggesting that we look and look closely at everything. That's pretty valuable advice.

Overall, it was a pretty fun evening.  I like going to events that are out of my normal routine.  It's nice to shake it up a little, and how can you beat a free event that's close by and serves free wine?  I really don't know.

Michigan Fashion Week

Last weekend my friend Rachel and I attended the first year of Michigan Fashion Week!  I'd never been to any fashion week before (my goal is to make it to Detroit Fashion Week next year!) so it was fun to be apart of the excitement.  They haven't posted any of the official photos from the show yet.  I've been waiting for them to include in this post but they're being too slow and I wanted this post to stay relevant.  So below are my iPhone captures that will have to do.

Stylish shoes for a stylish event!  Mine are the open-toed ones.  I just got them on clearance at Target with just enough warm weather left in the year to wear them without freezing toes!

I have to say, I was expecting a bit more.  I was not very impressed with many of the styles.  They were mostly looks that I've seen before; nothing new.  A lot of them looked like clothes I could just go pick up at Forever 21.  Nothing too inspiring.  But I will say, I appreciate the effort.  There are so many talented designers in the Detroit area.  It was nice to support them and my local community.

Since it was their first year, I applaud Michigan Fashion Week for pulling together a nice event with affordable tickets.  Yeah Michigan!

Have you ever attended a fashion week showcase?

Guest Blogging on The Jessica L Blog

Happy first official day of autumn!  Today I'm over on The Jessica L Blog to share about Maximizing Your Maxi for fall!  Hop over and have a read!

And a quick glimpse at what I'm wearing over there...

Check it out!! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Bring on those colored leaves!

September Blue

I love my state of Michigan.  I'm surrounded by huge lakes full of fresh water.  A few weekends ago my family and I visited Kirk Park on Lake Michigan, which is about 40 minutes from Grand Rapids.  I love stopping by at the beach in the fall.  Beaches are not just for summer fun.  What I found beautiful was the change of water color from summer to fall.  Upon approaching the lake my sister commented that it had changed to September Blue.

shirt: American Eagle // jeans: LC Lauren Conrad //

 infinity scarf: Target // hat: American Eagle (similar)

This was also the first time I tried the denim on denim look.  For so long I've been petrified to try this because of the whole Britney/Justin fiasco I'm sure a lot of us remember.  Haha.  That is still the first thing I think of when seeing denim on denim and that was 11 years ago!

Have you tried wearing denim on denim yet?

A Vest in New Light

Don't you love it when clothes that you've had for a while seem to pop out at you in a new light?  That's what happened with this vest.

shirt: Forever 21 // vest: Forever 21 // jeans: LC Lauren Conrad // shoes: Soda

I've had this vest for a few years now and can never find outfits to wear it.  I've had this top for a few months and seem to always get frustrated with it.  I hate wearing it alone.  For some reason I always feel like I have giant shoulders with it.  But after adding the vest?  Problem solved.  I love a good menswear inspired outfit.  I just realized that with this top it looks like I'm wearing a necktie under the vest!  Hah.

Do you have a piece of clothing that you can't seem to figure out how to wear?

Preschool Vintage

I love a good thrift store deal + vintage find combined.  Usually that combination is hard to come by in small sizes.  Seriously.  Last week I stared at a long aisle full of blazers and ONE of them was a size small.  ONE.  Out of probably two hundred at least.  So yes, I bought that blazer.  But what I also bought was a cute vintage skirt.  The length was new for me, and I really love it!

skirt: thrifted // shirt: Wet Seal // belt: Target // shoes: LC Lauren Conrad 

//necklace: gift // ring: Miner's Den

While wearing this I kind of felt like a preschool teacher.  (By the way, that's a complement to all of you teachers out there!)  I think I associate this length of skirt with preschool teachers because that's probably the first time I noticed them.  Yep, even as a preschooler I recognized great fashion!  So there you have the short story of this skirt.

In other news, are any other Michigan bloggers attending the Michigan Fashion Week Showcase this Saturday?  I'll be there!  Unfortunately I won't be able to attend Detroit Fashion Week, but I plan on it for next year.

Happy Wednesday!

Visit Me at Here&Now!

This is my first ever scheduled post so hopefully it works correctly!  I'm crossing my fingers that it doesn't post too early!

Today I'm over at Jessica's blog Here&Now to show you how to make the LBD work for three different occasions.  Head on over and check it out!

Just Bloomed

Finally I bring you the third and final installment to my photo shoot with Lauren Mac Design series.  [part one] & [part two]  These were taken last spring when the flowers had just bloomed!

shirt: c/o LC Lauren Conrad // pants: H&M // necklace: gift

My prop for these were the lovely white flowers!  They were blooming all over this property we shot at.  After a long winter the flowers were just a sight to behold.  These photos are mostly upper body head shots instead of being outfit photos.  If I were a senior in high school I would probably have used the first one for one of my senior pictures!  Of course, if I told someone now that I was a senior in high school they would probably believe me... haha, oh the joys of sometimes looking younger than I am!

Anyway, Lauren did a fantastic job with these photos.  Fingers crossed that we can collaborate again!

Have a great Monday tomorrow!  I promise I will jump back on the blog bandwagon this week and start checking in to see what you all have been up to!

 

Season Switch!

I must start this post out with a disclaimer: I am aware that it is still summer.  However, if you were to step into a store right now all the fashion you would see is all fall-wear.  That is how it is for each season switch, and that is why I choose to base my season recap posts on months and not actual dates.  Therefore, even though the majority of the month is technically still summer, for this fashion blog September = Fall.  And now onto the summer outfit recap!

Don't get me wrong though, I refuse to start dressing fall-ish until the weather actually calls for it.  Meaning I've still got a couple posts of summer-ish clothing left.  So there you have it!  I see lots of dresses, skirts, and green grass!  Can't wait to see what my brain thinks up for fall outfits!

Anyone attending any Fashion's Night Out events tomorrow??

White on Labor Day

Happy Labor Day!  This day is always a little bittersweet to me.  Even though we still have a few weeks left, Labor Day wraps up the summer.  I'm sure everyone has heard the fashion rule "no white after Labor Day," well what about white on Labor Day?  I should probably squeeze this outfit in before the fashion police knock on my door.

blouse: Wet Seal // pants: LC Lauren Conrad //
shoes: Converse // necklace: American Eagle

So far I've had a great holiday weekend.  Saturday night I partook in a "Mexican Night" aka: make quesadillas, drink Corona, and wear a sombrero to dinner.  My Conora donned a sombrero too!

So festive.

And since I have today off of work for Labor Day, that enabled me to go out on a Sunday night!  I met up with my good friend Kalyn for drinks, appetizers, and catching up.  Summer nights, yummy drinks.

Today I will continue to take it easy and catch up on my blog world!  Gotta see what you all have been up to the past week!  Anyone have any fun plans for the holiday today?

Happy Labor Day!