Month: April 2018

Categories
Fashion

My vow to photos!

Are you ever the one when you are with family or friends and the camera comes out and all of a sudden you find yourself like a magician disppearing from the photo? Along with this disappearing act comes statements like, “Oh nooooo I look awful today,” or “Oh wait is that my cell phone, oven buzzing, doorbell, or anything that I think is making a sound that I can check on so I don’t have to be in this photo?”

Well, I have been having my moments where I am feeling like this more often. Even though you see me in front of the camera for my blog for some reason as of lately I have been dodging group photos with the pit feeling in my stomach of not looking forward to how I look in the photo. Whether it be me being overly critical of if it looks like I have a double chin, or if my arms look big, or if my stomach is bulging out. Let me tell you these thoughts are truly getting exhausting!

A moment that sticks out the most to me was when my family was all hanging out in the living room last month and my sister was about to snap a photo of all of us. Well, I did the whole sneak out of the photo move because I was feeling like I looked a hot mess with my hair on top of my head, wearing a over sized sweater, and my face felt super bloated. I saw the photo after it was taken and it just made me think that truly the purpose of this photo is to help spark that feeling of a really amazing memory of being with the people you love most. By choosing to exclude myself from that photo felt like I was removing myself from this moment, which was a total wake up call!

Not only in everyday life, but even in this photoshoot with this amazing look from Eloquii this happened too! I remember feeling so self conscious about how the skirt made my body look and how the top paired with the skirt. I was just going on and on about it and Will, my photographer, at one point was basically like, “Who cares! Now strut towards me and let’s get to work!” Well, thank god he snapped me out of this and wouldn’t you know these photos were my favorite out of all the looks we did!

So I am making a vow to myself that I will not let this toxic habit have me miss out on being part of memories that we are so lucky to live in a time that we can capture these moments in a single photo!

Ok now that we are all feeling more empowered let’s talk about my look. The gingham wrap top is from the Draper James collection with Eloquii! It is the perfect mix of feeling classy and a lil bit of spice to it. What I love about this collection is that all of their pieces can be paired with options outside of the collection, like this hot red tulle skirt. You know I am all about options people. So here are a couple of ways that you can pair looks from this Draper James Collection and other amazing pieces from Eloquii!

   

   

XO

Catherine

Photo Credit LSP Art Studios
Categories
Fashion

A Case of the Shopping Struggles!

So I forgot to share this story with you guys of back in February when I was celebrating my 30th birthday! Going into my birthday weekend visiting my friends in Chicago I was thinking ok this will be pretty chill and in terms of packing I will just bring some basic essentials maybe a nice top or two. As my girlfriends started to plan our Saturday night out that feeling in the pit of my stomach started to rise and the question, “Oh crap, what am I going to wear?” started to pop in my head. Then flash to my thoughts of on a scale of 1 to wearing a Snuggie in public what is the dress code? Somewhere in the middle of not dressing like I am going to Costco on a Sunday (Sidenote: I am not a Costo Club Member sooo not sure why I said that) and no we are not dressing like we are pretending I am turning 21 again…that tube top is just not working hunnnnnnny.

As I ripped through my luggage looking for something that would be perfect for a night on the town at a speakeasy with a 100% chance of going out and dancing afterwards I was left feeling like I had nothing to wear! So then I ventured out into the windy city and was thinking oh I will just head to Michigan Ave. and just grab something at a store there.  Well, I thought truly truly wrong. In this moment of hopping from store to store only to find myself being informed that they only go up to a size 12 or taking one look at the plus section and it either is mixed in with maternity clothes, has no variety in selection of pieces that are great for a night out, or the plus section is so hidden that you have to ask 3 store associates on where it is and they are also unsure.

That feeling of the girl in high school not being able to fit into the trendy clothes came creeping back in my mind and I started to get a little teary eyed. I literally have not felt this feeling in soooooo many years! In conclusion I ended up strolling back to my girlfriends house with my head kind of held low and feeling a bit defeated. Then I threw together a look I had brought and actually felt super confident in it!

So I guess I share this story not to knock any brands or stores, but more so to bring attention to the stores that I do appreciate that I can walk into and trust a selection of styles and sizes that will fit for any occasion! One of these stores is Catherines Plus! This floral cardigan is perfect for a day to night look with a bit of sheer detail to give it that extra little spice. It can also be paired perfect with a shift dress or high waisted pants too. I stuck with a basic black tank top, but you can even style it with a bold color like how they have styled it below. Here is a look at some of the new Spring Arrivals that I am currently loving at Catherines!

XO

Catherine

Image result for catherines soft tencel peasant top Image result for catherines floral meadow dress Image result for meadow mist cardigan catherines Image result for fringe trim pareo catherines Image result for wrapped canvas kimono Catherines

Photo Credit- LSP Art Studios
Categories
Fashion

Top 3 Quick Tips on adding Colors to your Wardrobe!

Somedays I get into moods of what feels like a style see saw…wait can we get that trending? #styleseesaw? Ok make it happen people! For example one day I am feeling super minimalist with black and grey tones and the next I feel like a freakin bright pink cupcake.

In my early days of blogging I felt like I needed to find my personal style and stick with it when it came to creating my brand. On the other hand style is a great way to express your creativity, which your creative juices can change from one day to the next. So why not completely welcome this with open arms. If you like the look, feel, and price point…lezzzzzz do it!

Whether it is upgrading your go-to basics or updating your closet for spring/summer here are my three go to tips for adding color to your wardrobe from Eloquii!

1. Balance it out! Have the main color of whether it is a dress, top, skirt, etc. be basic tones that are dominate and then have the details be those bold pops of color like in the design. I feel like mastering this is best to stick with florals or even as simple as the bold striped dress I am sporting in my photo. In terms of accessories you can keep it super minimal with silver or gold accents.

    Ruched Drawstring Sleeve Top 

2. Accessorize it up! If you are living that more minimalist life these days with every type of little black dress there is then you can spice it up with bold accessories like earrings, clutches, etc. I know in tip #1 I mention to balance out the bold colors keep it simple in terms of jewelry, but if you are feeling a bold earring with a bold print I say go for it!

3-Tier Ball Drop Earrings  Tiered Tassel Earrings 3-Tier Ball Drop Earrings Tiered Tassel Earrings

3. Shoes, shoes, shoes! Playing off of number two you can add on a bold colored or printed heel or flats to any look. Also, if you are wearing a bright colored dress with a bold design I like to select a shoe that is the color in the dress that is the least dominate. Helps the little details really pop!

 Leah Jeweled Kitten Heel 

Watch my Instagram stories to see some of my favorite bloggers that are totally on it when it comes to incorporating pops of color in their wardrobe!

XO

Catherine

Photo Credit LSP Art Studios
Categories
Fashion

Boohoo Review!

This year so far I have really been in the mode of trying to watch my pennies, but man last month did me in! With NYFW, birthday weekends, and just having overall unnecessary “treat yo self moments” I am looking forward to these next couple months of chillllllllllling out and trying to consign some pieces and starting to think spring!

Now in terms of online shopping I have my usual guaranteed go to brands that I know my size and I know what to expect. For the sake of all you fabulous followers out there I decided I would branch out and shop a brand that I have seen all over Instagram, but have never shopped myself, Boohoo! So if you do not follow Nadia Aboulhosn, put down that Chipolte burrito bowl that you paid extra for guac, and go follow her. A while back I saw her rocking this brand and I had been meaning to shop it for the longest time.  Now the reason for the delay is because a majority of their pieces to me are super event specific. I think that their selection is perfect for if you have a bachelorette party you are going to, having a girls night out, or you know what you just want to turn it up a bit for a first date…their selection is on point!

So here is a peek at the pieces I got from Boohoo and honestly the price points were not bad at all. Also, I was surprised to see that the material did not feel like it was going to fall apart after a couple of wears. If you do shop their looks I would recommend going up a size. I did for all three of the pieces I shopped and I am really pleased that I did.

Well, you all have had an overload of seeing this kimono wrap dress, but I can’t wait to share with you guys how I style this wrap top and bralette! Have you all shopped this brand? What do you think?

  

 

XO

Catherine