Red Lips

I have somewhat of an obsession with red lips.  I just love them!  It must be the dancer in me.  At a young age and also into my "professional" dancing career I was required to sport the hue.  I went through a phase in high school where I hated makeup and thought even just a little was too much.  Somewhere between college and graduation I learned to embrace makeup, with special regard for the red lip. I feel like it's so classic, and you can look immediately pulled together / more done-up when you have a red lip.  You don't need much else.  You can pump it up with other makeup for a dramatic night out on the town or leave the rest of your look pretty natural and it can be casual as well.  One place I haven't ventured to wear the red lip is work.  I just . . can't do it.  I save it for off-duty hours (;

The shade that I have been sporting most as of late is 'Love That Red' by Revlon.  'Ruby Woo' by Mac is another one of my faves.

My favorite red lipstick celebrity, Gwen Stefani:

Some of my outfits that I finished with a red lip:

Dress - Alloy/Delias

Necklace - F21

Sweater - Gifted

Boots - F21

Head Scarf - Sorry, I can't remember, but I think F21!

Necklace - F21

Tank - Francescas

Jeans - Sway Chic

Boots - F21

Earrings - F21

Crop - Necessary Clothing

Romper - F21

Nylongs - The Grocery Store??

Bra - VS

Tank - F21

Skirt - F21

Grammys Fashion 2014

Ahhh, the Grammys. I think this may be my favorite award show for fashion viewing, since stars are expected and maybe even encouraged to be a little more funky and risqué with their style choices.

First up, we have miss queen bee. THAT DRESS. The beauty. The detailing, the way it hugs her gorgeous curves and shows off her beautiful back. That . . . Hair!! The shock, the horror! Kidding. But really, the only reason I don't completely hate it is because I attended a 20s themed party this weekend and I enjoyed the wavy / unkempt bob look myself. I just don't think the hair complements the dress and I would've liked to have seen a brighter / lighter red lip on her too. Overall though I think the dress was a great choice and she looks beautimous (when does she not?)

Katy perry is sexy as hell, but I feel like this dress does nothing for her. Nothing! Of course I mean besides washing her out and hiding her amazingly voluptuous body. The music notes are a cute touch though and are true to her quirky tendencies.

I knew you were trouble when you walked in . . Is probably the last thing I would ever think of Taylor swift's appearance. For the most part, I think she gets it right. And she looks . . Great, here! She stays true to her style and who she is and streamlines everything she wears with impeccable hair and makeup. She radiates. But she doesn't wow me. She doesn't make me think "oo I can't wait to see what Tay Tay wore!". I know she'll look pretty and put together. But will she be fashion forward, pushing boundaries, making me think? Never, ever! (Gosh, I'm clever.)

Now let's all take a deep breath and breathe out / throw away everything I just said here. Because I'm just a girl, in the world . . Basically what I'm trying to say is my opinion doesn't MATTER! Yours does. Wear what you want, what you like, and wear things that you look back on and think "god, what was I thinking?!" It's all just for fun, right? (;

Black and White

Today I went and had a mani & pedi with mi madre and then had a late (very late) brunch with one of my childhood besties.  It's always lovely catching up with her - she is SUCH a sweetheart.  We are in the midst of planning a meetup with all of our childhood besties and I am SO looking forward to it.  It's been one of those things where you say that you are going to do it and keep SAYING that but no one gets around to actually planning and committing.  In 2014 I'm determined to keep plans, be a better friend, family member, and person overall.  It takes a lot of work and conscious effort to change habits, but I like challenges and having things to work towards.  I wish you all a happy, healthy, and productive week ahead.  Lots of Love, J

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Casual Saturday

Today we woke up a bit earlier than normal (for weekends) and took one of our dogs to a private 1:1 session with our trainer.  Then we grabbed a quick breakfast and I came back home to clean up around the house, do laundry, etc.  After giving all three of our girls baths I decided it was bloggin' time (:  Hope you all are enjoying your Saturdays!!  Lots of Love, J

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Bish don't kill my vibe

I've come to realize that the less pressure I put on planning and functions in general, the more fun I have.  The most fun I've ever had on holidays, special events, etc. have been the times that were the most low-key, like just staying at home or going to a really dive-y bar near my house.  We just stayed at home this year for NYE and invited a handful of people over last minute and it was super fun!

My resolution for this year is to be more kind, understanding, and thoughtful (go out of my way to help people more).  I'll let you know how it goes (;

I went 'all silver everythang' this year and kept it casual with the shoes since we just stayed at home.

I definitely wore the most makeup I've worn in a long time: a silver smokey eye AND red lips.  Not typically my thing, but it was fun (:  Also, layered a few silver necklaces to keep with the silver theme.

Detailing on my silver peplum skirt along with my go-to combat boots.

Being super silly in front of the Christmas tree (we didn't mean to color coordinate.)

Outfit Details:

Black and silver necklace from Target

Silver necklace from Crossroads

Grey Crush Velvet Top - Thrifted

Metallic Silver Peplum Skirt from Francescas

Black Combat Boots from Wanted Shoes

On Duty Vs. Off

I think it's interesting to compare how one's style changes compared to when they're at work and when they're off of work.  At times I dislike dressing for work because I feel confined to wear only what the corporate world has deemed 'appropriate'.  However, at the same time, it broadens my horizons in a way and forces me to dress differently than I normally would in my off days.  I love denim (especially acid wash), chunky jewelry, and (combat) boots.  If I didn't work in a corporate environment, I would probably dress like this most days, and my style would be easily copy-able :D

I don't feel comfortable wearing anything too trendy or edgy at work, even if it is not necessarily revealing or provocative.  For example I have this faux leather jacket with spikes and enhanced shoulders that I wouldn't dare wear at work.  I'm completely covered, but it just doesn't feel . . . right. What styles would you wear in your off time but not at work?  Should we care or just go all out if it is not offensive and is tastefully done?

Lots of Love,

J