Kelly Ripa's Dress From Intermix

I think Kelly Ripa is cute as a bug. I want to feed her some good Southern food to give her some curves, but I admire how dedicated she is to fitness. 


I love watching Kelly's "Fashion Finder" series on the "Regis and Kelly" website. She does a quick segment after the show, where she highlights her outfit of the day. Kelly had on an adorable dress this past Wednesday, so I rushed to look on "Fashion Finder" to find out the designer. Here's the segment (you'll have to scroll to Wednesday, January 26 to see it.) 


Turns out this is an exclusive dress for Intermix, and it isn't cheap--$238. But if you sign up for their emails, they'll send you an automatic 15% off your first order. That brings the price down to $202.30. 


You can't really tell by the picture, but you get a real feel of the fabric's flowiness on Kelly's video. I think it's such a versatile dress and is perfect for all seasons.

Intermix Exclusive Side Draped Party Dress

On this episode, Kelly also wears the infamous green Jennifer Miller earrings seen on Kyle of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills".  It's a total fashion trend "two-fer"!

BTW, I checked out the Fogal brand tights Kelly mentions. Um, hello. $66 for a pair of tights? No flippin' way. I already choke on my uvula and get an eye twitch when I fork out money for Spanx tights.

Move Over Oprah-Here’s My Favorite Things

I’d like to share with you some new products I’ve found and a few of my “tried and true” items that I use daily.

My list isn’t as fabulous as Oprah’s “Favorite Things” list. You won’t pee your pants while jumping up and down. You may faint and spontaneously combust though.

First up…..HOLY Rice Krispie Treats! I spotted this treasure in Walgreens last night. 

This is a 2 pound sheet of Rice Krispie Treat. You can decorate it like a cake or cut it into squares for those last minute school parties you forgot (not that…..*ahem* I’ve ever done that or anything).  I think the measurement is about 15” x 11.5”. 

Think of all the fun things you could do with this and not have to get your hands all buttery and sticky.  Here’s the kicker----they don’t have quite the same taste as the homemade ones.

Next up….L'Oreal Infallible Never Fail Lipliner in Nude.

This is my favorite lip liner. I don’t use lip liner everyday, but this is always in my makeup bag.

L’Oreal Infallible 6 Hour Never Fail Lipgloss in “Sunset”

Okay ladies, I’ve never gotten 6 hours out of this lipgloss, but it is near perfect in color. I also love the color “Coral Sands”. I have this in every purse, every makeup drawer, and even in some coat pockets. It’s a lovely, muted peach, and I love, love, love how natural and warm this color is.

If your poof needs a little sumpin’ sumpin’ , try Big Sexy Hair Brand “What a Tease- Backcomb in a Bottle”.

This is a fun product to get extra volume. It’s kind of a weird texture, so you don’t want to go all “Jersey Shore” when you start spraying, or you’ll end up with a rats’ nest.

I buff Makeup For Ever HD High Definition Powder over my mineral foundation.  I like how light this powder is. Don’t let the fact that it’s white skur you. You won’t look like Michael Jackson.

I’ve used this liner for YEARS. If you put this on, and then go over it with an eye shadow powder in the same color, it’ll last all day & night.

Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in Black Brown

 This is the cheapy face wash I use in the shower. I like the fact that it has benzoyl peroxide, but doesn’t bleach the doo-hicky out of your clothes and bedding like Pro-Active does.

I use this with my Clarisonic brush.

AcneFree Oil Free Purifying Cleanser

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes is another product that you’ll find all over my house. I have them on my nightstand, in my bathroom, and in my car. I love that I can use these anywhere.

Lastly, I’d like to share another favorite…..Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in “Rose Petal”.

I follow a tip that Bobbi Brown published in her latest book. She suggests layering cream blush over powder blush. I tried it and really liked the “depth” that her technique gives.

I layer this OVER Nars “Orgasm” Blush or Bare Minerals “Warmth”. 

Just take two fingers and dab/pat a little on the apples of your cheeks. It’s a very fresh look.

So there you have it…… a few of my favorites.

Unleash your inner Oprah.

What products are you liking right now?

Gray Skies

Between the drop in temperature, time change, and hazy skies, I feel like all I see is gray. The sad thing is…..I look in my closet and see lots of gray too. Gray is my “safe” color. It’s not quite your basic black, but doesn’t scream for attention either. 

Here’s a few of my picks for gray fall “must haves”.

Mink Pink Basket Case Woven Sweater

Note: I would pass on the lace shorts & thigh-high tights. Instead, I would pair this sweater these and this.

James Perse Twisted Cotton Jersey Dress

Frenchi Ruffle Scarf

I just ordered this scarf. It’s only $22.00 & comes in many other colors.

I ‘Heart’ Ronson Tank Dress

As I was going to Sephora (which is in JCPenney inside our mall), I noticed this casual tank dress. I absolutely love it. Best part? It was only $25.00. You may want to check your store because the price is higher on the website.

*Note: This line runs small. I had to get a size larger in this dress.

I wore this with a tissue tee from Target, black Spanx tights, and ankle boots.

BCBGMaxAzria Faux Fur Shrug

Not so sure about the “panty hose” top with it, but love the shug.

Old Navy Rolled-Edge Open Front Cardigan

This is part of my “momiform”—skinny jeans, a tank, and a cardigan.  Each.and.every.day.

Have a great week everyone!

Holiday Party Dresses

Can you believe that holiday parties are just around the corner? I like to start looking for a party dress at the beginning of November because by the first week in December, all the good stuff is gone.

Here are my holiday party picks:

Aidan Mattox “Cold Shoulder” Sequin Dress

Laundry by Shelli Segal Polka Dot Mesh Dress

This dress would look great with black tights in the winter & with platform sandals in the spring.

Love this dress from Lulu’s.

It’s a great step away from the typical red holiday dress.

This Parker tunic is fun & festive for more casual parties.

Forever 21 “Extravagant Origami Dress” 

What’s your pick? Have you started getting ready for holiday parties or am I the only one? HA!

 

Five For Friday

As a busy mom, I really struggle with living in yoga pants & t-shirts vs. looking like I tried too hard.

I’m trying to find a few chic, but casual outfits that I can wear to drop the kids off at school or to run errands around town. I would like to have basic neutrals so that I can mix and match pieces quickly in the morning. 

For these outfits, the number one criteria is comfort, and secondly, I want the outfits to look “effortless”.

On my quest…I found five casual outfit inspirations:

photo source: Kelly Stuart

I really like the gray sweater above and found a similar one at Victoria’s Secret.

photo source: Stockholm Street Style

photo source: Vanessa Jackman

 

photo source: Kelly Stuart

photo source: Stockholm Street Style

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

 

 

Poncho Love

I jumped on the bandwagon and bought the much sought-after H&M poncho. I love it and can see why everyone was going crazy over it.  It’s comfy and stylish….and it hides those donuts you ate for breakfast. tee hee

Here's a few more poncho looks I put together:  

(Keep in mind....these are only ideas. I don't suggest you spend that much on those outfits. This is coming from a girl that's wearing Target boots in the picture above)

Ponchos by dishydecorator featuring hermes bracelets

Poncho Oatmeal
$570 - crumpetengland.com
Tops »

Cocoon knit poncho
$199 - karenmillen.com
Knit cardigan »

Oasis Boat Neck Long Sleeve T-Shirt, Red, L
15 GBP - johnlewis.com
Longsleeve tee »

MiH Jeans Vienna low-rise legging-style jeans
$195 - net-a-porter.com
Leggings jeans »

VINCE V015120408 CHARCOAL VISCOSE/ELASTANE E3871
189 GBP - farfetch.com
Vince leggings »

Giuseppe Zanotti Women's I07067 Wedge
$1,195 - endless.com
Wedge heel boots »

ANNEX High Leg Ankle Boots
$180 - topshop.com
High heels »

Alexander Wang Isis Clutch
$1,050 - barneys.com
Alexander wang handbags »

Chloé Marcie leather messenger bag
$1,650 - net-a-porter.com
Leather shoulder bag »

Charla's Chunk Brown Stone Bib Necklace
$44 - fantasyjewelrybox.com
Brown necklace »

Hermes enamel bangles, enamel bracelets | Hermes.com
$680 - usa.hermes.com
Hermes bracelets »

So what's your thoughts on ponchos? Stylish or frumpy?

Camel and Gray for Fall

The fashion industry has bombarded us with the idea that “camel” is big for fall. Yeah, we know. So is military style, over-the-knee boots, blah, blah, blah.

One trend that hasn’t made quite the stir is wearing camel and gray together.  Sounds weird, huh? It’s actually very chic and modern.

I was accidentally “ahead” of the trend last winter. I had a cashmere scarf with a large cream, gray, and camel check design. I wore a gray jacket with it and camel colored boots.  I received tons of compliments on my outfit.  There was something about that combination of colors that I loved last year, and I especially love what designers are doing with it this season.

Alexander Wang

Phillip Lim

source: Harper’s Bazaar, photograph by Daniel Jackson

I love how they’ve used darker cognac boots and accessories to ground the camel and gray combo.

Phillip Lim

DKNY

Michael Kors featured this combo a lot in his Spring 2011 show.

Umm, not digging the socks and sandals combo.

Michael Kors

The fashionable Jessica Alba

Phillip Lim

 

What do you think of wearing camel and gray together?

Chic or not really liking it?

Cheap White Jeans

Starting every spring, I start on a quest to find the right white jeans or slacks. I like cropped, bootleg, and skinny white jeans, but I also like a flat front white pant with no buttons, pockets, etc.

So this year was no different when I started my search for “the perfect” white pants. I tried J Crew-nope, then I tried J Brand-nope, then I tried every online website. Still no luck.

I’d pretty much given up, then I decided to check out Gap’s website. I found these jeans in, um….the kids’ department. Do any of you vertically challenged ladies ever shop in the girls’ department? If not….run on over.

I ordered these GapKids’ destructed white jeans in a girl’s size 16—which equals around a size 4 in women’s. They are the perfect fit and length. It’s hard to see in the picture, but there are areas of distressing. These are definitely more casual, but I think they’re so fun for summer. The best part? They were on sale for $14.99!

GapKids’ Destructed White Skinny Jeans

The next pair of pants I found came from Wal-Mart. Yeah, you heard right. I was in there the other day to pick up some cleaning supplies, and I saw these pants close to the aisle. It’s the same as the style below and they’re the “White Stag” brand. I didn’t see the white ones online, only khaki and black. They also come in petite. Price: $9!

These pants are more like twill leggings. I like these type of pants when I wear more fitted tops or tunics. You don’t see bulky buttons or pockets. They also come up higher so you don’t have a muffin top;-)

“White Stag” brand stretch twill leggings (obviously not in white, but this is the style)

The last pair of cheap white jeans I found are from another atypical store…..Sears. (They also sell them at Kohl’s and JCPenney). They’re Gloria Vanderbilt “Amanda” stretch jeans. They have just enough stretch in them to be comfortable. They come in lots of other fun colors too such as lilac, light yellow and putty color. For reference, I have the size 4 short or petite size. I may go back and get the regular length to wear with heels.

****WARNING: Many of you young chickies may consider these “Mom jeans” because they have a higher waist. They come just under my belly button. If you have a little belly fat like me….you should try these. They don’t leave you with that weird “Dunlap Syndrome”. It’s when your belly done lapped over your jeans. Ba-boom-boom-cha. It’s actually nice to have a pair of pants that the waist doesn’t hit my iliac crests & show my crackola. I know--- TMI:-)

The pics on the website are horrible. So here’s how they look on me.

Excuse the poor quality iPhone pic.

I like how the back pockets sit lower.

Have you found any white jeans that you like? As you can tell, I kinda like them. I’ve heard great things about Lands’ End Canvas jeans.