Plum

Top: Allen B. (JCPenney)
Jeans: Target
Bag: Steven Madden (via Ross)
Heels: Charlotte Russe
Watch: Michael Kors
Bangles: Dillard's & Forever 21
Ring: Charlotte Russe
Sunnies: Simply Vera by Vera Wang (Kohl's)
Lips: MAC, Shanghai Spice

Blouses with sophisticated details are one of my favorite items of clothing! I absolutely love this plum blouse from the Allen B. line at JCPenney. (The Allen B. line is one of my favorites at JCPenney - it tends to be more on the trendy, bolder side compared to some of their other brands.)

At first I thought this blouse fell into the burgundy family, but after a little research, I've concluded that it falls into the "plum" family. Plum colors tend to have more of a purple tint, while the colors burgundy and wine tend to have more of a red tint. The color oxblood, another popular one for this fall, has more of a red-brown tint.

Which is YOUR favorite of fall's "it" color - plum, burgundy, wine, or oxblood? Leave a comment below and let me know!

Thanks for reading!

- Lael

P.S. - I am leaving the country today to go on a mission trip to Lesotho, Africa! I'll be gone for ten days! Check out The Beautiful Dream Society to learn more about the cause my team is supporting! Can't wait to share my experience when I return! 

Sperry Rain Boots

Umbrella: Target
Top: Old Navy
Scarf: Nordstrom
Watch: Target
Sweater: MNG by Mango (JCPenney)
Leggings: Allen. B (JCPenney)
Rain boots: Sperry

I definitely prefer a sunny day over a rainy one, but I do enjoy an excuse to wear fun rain boots! I got these Sperry rain boots from a local shoe store in OKC a couple years ago, but Sperry's website has some other cute prints in this same boot style. Even though this isn't a boot I wear all the time, it was worth the investment considering how comfortable they are and how long they'll last!

Thanks for reading!
-Lael

P.S. - Most of the pieces in my outfit above were things I bought a year or more ago, so there were no applicable links available. 

high note: 23rd Birthday

I missed last Friday's "high note" post due to the pure craziness that has been my life for the past couple of weeks! September 29 was my 23rd birthday, and October 7 was my one year anniversary with my boyfriend Reed, so needless to say my last couple of weekends have been packed! 

Birthdays are always a great reminder of the sweet, precious people in my life - they always make me feel so special and loved! Here are some pics from my birthday week and the loved ones who shared it with me! :)

Every Thursday morning, my amazing team and I have a weekly meeting at Panera. The Thursday before my birthday,  Kristy (we sing in Warr Acres together & she's also Reed's cousin!) surprised me with these adorable - and delicious - cupcakes! 

To my additional surprise, Kristy gave me these darling chevron mugs that she hand-painted! I absolutely love them!

This girl is an absolute gem of a friend/sister, and I love her to pieces! 

Every year, my mom never fails to make sure I wake up to something like this on the morning of my birthday. She really is the sweetest, cutest, most thoughtful mom around. 

I thought this gift idea was so cute and clever! (My mom said she found it on Pinterest, of course) Chocolate, money, jewelry, perfume - seriously, what more could a girl want?! :) 

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, my best friend Katie and I have a tradition of making each other gifts for our birthdays. Each year she continues to blow me away with her creativity and thoughtfulness! Each of the canvases above have lyrics to different songs that I've written over the years! I can't wait to put these up in my future home! Grateful for a best friend who's been so supportive of my music!

My wonderful boyfriend Reed went above and beyond on my birthday and our anniversary (I'll be going into more detail about our anniversary in another post)! He surprised me with this cute little set-up (I love the touch of the iPad slideshow of our pictures!) which included a personalized "coupon" he designed for me to pick out a Michael Kors watch of my choice, something I've been secretly wanting for a while!

He's the cutest and sweetest! :) 

This is the one we eventually landed on! I absolutely adore it and have worn it almost every day since. It literally goes with virtually everything! Most of all, I love looking at it and instantly stopping to think about how blessed I am to be with a guy who makes me feel so special, loved and appreciated! 

All in all, my birthday was nothing short of wonderful! Excited for all that the 23rd year of my life will hold! Thanks for reading! 

-Lael

The new panoramic feature on the iPhone update/iPhone 5 is awesome! Birthday dinner at Zio's! 

Chevron in the U.S.A.

My best friend Katie and I have a tradition of making each other creative gifts for our birthdays. Our friendship has spanned over ten years, so coming up with new ideas every year can be somewhat of a challenge! I'm sure the countless hours I've poured over Pinterest since it's inception subconsciously played a part in this year's creation, although I don't recall a specific pin inspiring it.

During a recent trip down memory lane - aka Facebook photos - I was quickly reminded of how many amazing trips Katie and I have been blessed to experience together. Our entire class got to visit Washington D.C. in 6th grade, and six years later we headed back East to Boston for our Senior Trip. Extracurriculars like choir, sports, and our favorite - shopping - have led us to Memphis, Colorado Springs, Joplin and Dallas over the years. 

In an attempt to create something to commemorate all of our travels, I finally came up with this ...

I found this chevron pattern printable template to be helpful in tracing the chevron print I used on the canvas. The cute pink push pins are from Target, and I included the leftovers in her overall gift (along with this fun notepad) in hopes that we can add more to the canvas in the coming years! :) 

Do you ever make gifts for your friends' birthdays? If so, I'd love to hear your ideas, so please leave a comment below! Thanks for reading! 

-Lael

Dallas, 2011

Boston, 2008

Fall Is Here!

Jacket: Forever 21 (similar)
Top: H&M
Denim Leggings: Target (old)
Boots: Old Navy
Boot Socks: unknown
Scarf: Nordstrom (similar)
Bag: Steve Madden (via Ross)
Ring: Dillard's
Watch: Michael Kors

Last week we finally got some fall temperatures here in Oklahoma! I could wear a version of this outfit everyday during the fall/winter months and be perfectly content. Jackets, scarves, boots - there's so much you can do with these fall staples! I usually enjoy wearing them in neutral colors head to toe, but occasionally I like adding a pop of color like I did with the scarf above.

Looking forward to creating more fall looks! Thanks for reading & spreading the word about my new blog! 

-Lael

Girly Menswear

Hat: Target (old)
Top: Target
Jeans: JCPenney
Shoes: Target
Glasses: Forever 21
Watch: Michael Kors
Bangles: Francesca's Collections

I like to balance "menswear-inspired" fashion trends with accents of "girly-ness". Tried to get the best of both worlds with this look. I love Target's oxford flats with the pink soles! Such a fun detail. They mixed well with these floral jeans I found at JCPenney. It took me a while to find a pair of floral jeans that I was willing to try, and finally I just bit the bullet and got these. It's a trend that will probably be short-lived for me personally (I've just never had a strong taste for floral prints), but in the meantime, I'm trying to have fun with it. I also love my menswear-inspired fedora. It's a great hat for fall. Overall, a comfy, chic outfit perfect for casual days or relaxing weekends! 

How do YOU style menswear-inspired pieces? Let me know in a comment below! Thanks for reading!
-Lael 

Layering Prints

Top: Old Navy
Sweater: Old Navy
Jeans: Old Navy
Heels: Charlotte Russe
Bag: Steve Madden (Ross)
Necklace: Francesca's Collections
Watch: Style Co. (Macy's)
Ring: Stella & Dot 
Sunnies: Simply Vera Vera Wang (Kohl's)

"Layering" is a great fall fashion tip that is both practical and helpful when trying to put outfits together. In a season when it's not always cold enough to wear a coat (at least in Oklahoma!), yet too chilly in well air-conditioned buildings to wear a light blouse, layering with sweaters and light jackets can be an instant fix. To take layering a step further, look at how you can mix different prints. Mixing stripes with polka dots is a great place to start. The tiny understated polka dots on the chambray shirt mix well with the bold, clean stripes of the sweater. Adding a third print with the leopard heels was a fun twist and pulled the whole look together. I kept my accessories pretty minimal and understated, especially in terms of color, so they wouldn't compete with the different prints.

Which prints do YOU think work really well together? Let me know in a comment below! Thanks for reading!

-Lael