My Favorite Color

"I love red. Red's a great color."

There's so many wonderful things about the color red.  It's emotionally-charged: passionate, vibrant, bold, romantic, adventurous, and so much more.  Fashionably-speaking, it's both modern and classic.  It's a beautiful color for every day and for special occasions.  It can be the center of attention that immediately catches your eye, or it can serve as a gorgeous background.  I like to use the color red wherever I can--but these days I most like it when it's in a form that I can wear.  Ever since I watched the James Bond movie "Casino Royale", I've been head-over-heels for bright red dresses--

--Inspired by the dress that the character Vesper Lynd wore in the film.  I now have two red dresses in my wardrobe, and a few different pairs of red shoes.  A red dress can be worn with a lot of different accessories, but I firmly believe that if a girl is going to own a red dress, she should wear it with red shoes at least once or twice in her lifetime.  ;)  Red lip colors are also some of my favorite things to keep around...red is a wonderful, sophisticated color for makeup, but I think it really ought to be restricted to the lips, with a little spared to use for cheek color.  Red eye makeup is--I find--tricky, at best.

Recently, I went on a shopping excursion with a friend, and we picked out some fabulous new wardrobe pieces for her, from H&M.  Our findings got me to thinking: I really ought to write a blog post about the versatility of the color red in one's wardrobe.  I think it's a color that's vastly underrated in clothing.  Yes, it is a bold color, but sometimes bold colors can be treated as neutrals, in much the same manner as they can be used as impact-making statement pieces.  In addition to that, red is far from a seasonally-exclusive color; it can be worn beautifully year-round.  Allow me to elaborate, using the styles of three very unique ladies.  

In Micah's set, I used bright, cherry red slacks as the focal point of each outfit.  From left to right, the outfits progress in season from summer-early autumn, to autumn, to winter.  Red can be paired with neutral shades--such as the shoes, handbags, and jewelry accessories with each outfit here--as well as brighter colors, such as the melon shade of the first outfit's shirt.  It can be paired with pretty floral prints preppy nautical stripes, and cozy knit materials.  

The trick here definitely lies in treating red as a neutral shade; the red slacks in each outfit here could easily be swapped out for a pair of skinny-fit jeans, and the effect would be much the same.      

For my set, I chose a piece that I actually have in my wardrobe--a red dress, although it isn't this specific red dress shown here.  Red dresses can be just as versatile a piece in one's wardrobe as red slacks; it all simply depends on what you choose to pair the red dress with.  

For a really bold color statement in the first outfit, I chose most red accessories.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with playing the matchy-matchy game with your outfit these days!  The combination of the slightly different but mostly uniform shades of red gives the outfit a put-together but not garish look.  For a slightly more casual effect, denim, leather, and knit materials look really nice with red, and the red itself gives a cheery and warm pop of color to the ensemble.  Lastly, a simple leather belt and pullover sweater transform the dress into what appears to be a skirt, paired with tastefully sparkling accessories and never-fail flesh-tone pumps.  See?  Red dresses aren't meant to be relegated to only the holidays!  

For Jenn's outfit sets, I chose to emphasize a color that is always very trendy for the cooler months of the year: oxblood.  (It's seriously in e-ver-y style magazine that's out for purchase right now!)  My and my two friends' styles are very different: Micah tends to go for a preppy-chic look with lots of bright colors and girly accents, while I gravitate towards a layered country-sophisticated look, and Jenn has a classic minimalist style with a hint of edginess.  

Jenn has the kind of style where she lets a statement color shine through in a few key pieces of her outfit: an elegant point-toed high heel in the shade of oxblood, a knit shirt paired with a cozy cardigan and faintly blush-hued jewelry, or a flowy dress with sparkling accessories.  She never plays it too safe, but she never overdoes it either.  If you don't want to wear an all-red outfit, but you still want to experiment with the red trend--be it bright red or the autumn-appropriate oxblood shade--Jenn's wardrobe system of subtle accents is the one for you!

What colors and trends are you looking forward to wearing for the autumn?

À bientôt!

-- Cait

Style Inspiration

Have you ever been flipping through a magazine, watching television, or perusing the images on the internet, and come across a photo of someone whose fashion and personal style that you particularly admired?  Style can be developed from so many different sources--originality, the retail market, real-life acquaintances, even history and celebrities--and it allows for us to be as creative as we please.  After having seen a celebrity who is a personal style favorite of mine on Sunday evening, during the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympics in London, I decided that my next blog post would be about a few of the famous faces who I find to be fashionably inspiring.

We begin with:

Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham has been one of my favorite fashionistas for several years now.  She's developed an amazing sense of style--with the exception of some of her earlier, more extravagant outfits--and is quite the consummate businesswoman in the area of fashion design.  She now has a line of denim, a line of dresses, and (recently) eyewear to her credit, and her designer's aesthetic has a true sense of class and timeless style while maintaining a modern edge.  

I like that her style--both in her personal wear and the things that she designs--is simple and flattering to the feminine figure, with classic silhouettes and accents.  She doesn't bother with outlandish shapes and over-embellishment.  As evidenced by the outfit that she's wearing in the picture above, she tends to gravitate towards a sophisticated, streamlined look.  She's the cool girl who knows what she likes and isn't caught up with being overly trendy: she stays with the classics--note the oversized sunglasses, roomy tote bag, chic minimalist jewelry, and sharply-tailored blazer--and looks incredibly, effortlessly put-together.  And as far as her taste in her hairstyles goes?  Two words: the Posh Bob.

The next stylish lady is rather an obvious choice:

All right, so perhaps it's an understatement to say that Duchess Catherine is "rather an obvious choice" to admire for her out-of-this-world incredible sense of style.  Perhaps it could even go without saying to call her a style icon...but I'm saying it anyway, because this lady can do no wrong in her sense of style, as far as I and many other people are concerned.  She always looks so lady-like and put-together: sophisticated and purposeful without veering to the extremes of either dowdy or garish.  I love that she re-wears different pieces from her wardrobe, reworking each item into new ensembles that never seem to be over-repetitive or boring.  And she also wears classic pump high heels and sheer nylons!  The latter of those two items can be irritating to deal with sometimes, but as a girl who--until lately, when nylons have become just not comfortable--has always seen sheer nylons as an indispensable part of her dressed-up wardrobe, I really appreciate that Duchess Kate has brought them back into fashion.  

She is yet another lady who never seems as though she is trying too hard, with any of the looks that she sports.  Her jewelry and other accessories always seems to be delicate and understated--and usually they have special significance, with her new royal station; she never does anything overly dramatic with her hair or makeup, but she never looks boring at all.  I have yet to see her wear any outfit that is anything but immaculately and admirably stylish.   

And third:

Anne Hathaway has a fantastic, comfortable, approachable, everyday chic in her street clothing; her more formal style is also incredible, of course, but for now I'm focusing on her off-the-red-carpet style.  From what I've seen, her street style is classic and down-to-earth--you'll never see Ms. Hathaway sporting slouchy boots with oodles of fringe or jeans that are so ripped up that they look as though a large cat had gotten to them.  (Not that those items can't look all right, to an extent, but you simply won't see Anne Hathaway wearing them.  If she has, I've never seen it...though I'm certainly willing to be gently corrected if I'm wrong.)  

She is similar to Victoria Beckham and Duchess Catherine in that her style is somewhat minimalist and always classic.  She never seems to wear anything that is overly dramatic or overly trendy.  She does wear trends, of course--such as the cap-toe ballet flats and the neutral-hued fedora in the picture above--but she never overdoes it.  And who can't love a girl's style that involves simple, staple wardrobe pieces  like dark-wash skinny jeans, cardigans, and plain tee-shirts?  Ms. Hathaway seems to know that the classics in fashion are her friends--and they've certainly served her well.  

I admire each of these women for their ability to look put-together and stylish in such an effortless and yet purposeful manner.  You can tell that they've learned what looks good on themselves, but they're not scrambling to look on-trend or seeking to draw inordinate amounts of attention to themselves.  Their style includes current fashion trends, to a point, but they also rely on the tried-and-true classics of fashion.  For me, personally?  I like to keep the classic and minimalist pieces in my wardrobe, but I'll also try out some fun items from time to time: glittery platform high heels, printed sundresses, slouchy cowboy boots, and the sequined top here and there.  

Ultimately, personal style is about finding what works for you personally.  It's great to have the ability to take inspiration from the fashions and styles in the world, and it's also wonderful to be able to creatively develop style on your own.  I like to keep it all in balance.  :)

À bientôt!

-- Cait

A Few of My Favorite {Autumn!} Things

(Image source: pinterest.com)

There is no better phrase with which to open this blog entry than the one in the picture above.  "Hello, autumn!" is an enthusiastic and cheerful greeting that I'm longing to say.  Part of that is caused by the heat and humidity of this summer--which is a trifle difficult to get along with some of the time, wouldn't you agree?--and part of it is caused by...well, that brings me to the point of this blog entry, actually.  :)  There are so many reasons for one to love the autumn time of year.  Here are a few of the things that I'm looking forward to the most, at the change of the seasons...

- No. 1 -

(Image source: pinterest.com)

 The myriad of changing colors of the scenery during autumn are vivid, fiery, and breathtaking.  I cannot wait for our drive home on the weekends to be graced with the spectacular glory of the forests and fields set ablaze with the colors of autumn.  In the area where we live, the autumn colors usually peak between mid-October to mid-to-late November, depending on the weather...and the show is always worth finding some sort of excuse to go out driving on a day that we have free! 

- No. 2 - 

(Image source: http://www.trekaroo.com/activities/colonial-williamsburg-williamsburg-virginia)

Traveling to Colonial Williamsburg is one such excuse to go out driving, whenever we have the time and the money to do so.  Not only is the drive there absolutely splendid--the town itself boasts some truly grand and beautiful historical sites, along with an excellent array of places to shop and dine.  During the autumn, the weather is sublime for walking up and down the cobblestone streets and drinking in the beauties of nature and the magnificently preserved historical locations.  A must visit!

- No. 3 - 

(Image source: pinterest.com)

On one of our shopping trips to the store Bed, Bath, and Beyond, my BFF Micah was the first to mention to me how wonderful the WoodWick candles are.  I had never run across them before, but when she described them as making the noise of a crackling fire while burning, I was immediately sold.  These candles feature--as per their name--a wick made of wood, and when they're lit, they really do make the sound of a pleasantly crackling fire.  (I've found another similar brand at WalMart, called Wonderful Wick, and they're every bit as pleasant.)  The scents that I've tried during the autumn are Fireside and a pumpkin scent of some sort; they were both lovely!  

Another of my favorite brands of candles is, of course, Yankee Candle.  There's a Yankee Candle Factory store in Williamsburg--so whenever we travel there, I make certain to drop by!  Two of their candle fragrances that I like most for autumn are called Harvest, and Autumn Leaves.  And yes, I'm restricting myself to only two favorites!

- No. 4 - 

(Image source: pinterest.com)

In a post from last autumn, I told you about the annual pumpkin-carving contest that Mr. Darcy and I attend every year, with our church's college- and career-aged group--and as this is a post about autumn, it's only natural that one of the favorite things that I wanted to include is a pumpkin patch.  Honestly, though, the pumpkin patch can really be said to represent all of the pumpkin-related things that I like about autumn.  Pumpkin carving, roasted pumpkin seeds, trips to the pumpkin patch, pumpkin home decor...and, whoops, oh dear, now I'm getting ahead of myself.  That's the next favorite thing!  :)

- No. 5 - 

(Image source: pinterest.com)

Like many other people, I absolutely love--and highly anticipate--the return of the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte every year.  Even with at least 3+ years of making those pumpkin-themed drinks, and all of their variations, while I worked at the company as a barista...I haven't tired of it in the slightest.  I've tried duplicating the recipe at home, to no avail, but I suppose that makes it a special treat when I get to enjoy one while I'm out shopping with friends or when Mr. Darcy takes me there for a coffee date.  :)  Warm, cozy, happy, fuzzy memories are what a pumpkin spice latte stirs up for me.

  

And my other favorite autumn beverage of choice?  Hot, mulled apple cider, of course!  Last year, I went through several batches of the stuff--I will have to try and post my particular recipe for it this year.  One new version of apple cider that I really learned to love last year was from a Martha Stewart Living recommendation: steep your favorite kind of tea in the hot cider.  The tea diffuses its flavor into the hot cider and creates a whole new lovely beverage experience--it's really nice!  Some teas wouldn't marry so well with the flavor of the cider, so I would recommend a black tea of some sort, such as Earl Grey, which is the kind of tea that Martha Stewart Living recommended.  You'll love it, I promise!

- No. 6 -

(Image source: polyvore.com, one of my sets)

I cannot wait for the weather to become cool enough for me to return to wearing outfits such as this one!  I've gained an increasing love for layering clothing and accessories--inspired by the many gorgeous outfits that I've viewed on Pinterest--and look forward to seeing what new outfits that I can come up with for this new autumn season.  This isn't an exact copy of the outfit that I'll be wearing this autumn, but it's a fairly close approximation.  I just need to find that long, slouchy grey cardigan and the burnt umber-orange scarf...which is from H&M, the Polyvore website informs me.  Hm.  Perhaps they'll have something similar to offer this autumn?  We shall see.  I'm also looking forward to investing in some comfy black leggings for the colder months this year.  Hopefully I can find a pair that'll do!

- No. 7 - 

(Image source: pinterest.com)

I'm also looking forward to decorating our new home for the autumn.  The candles wrapped in cinnamon sticks would look so earthy-chic and charming around the house...and they would smell amazing too, I imagine!  That is certainly one project that I would like to try out this year.  And, of course, there's always my dream of building pretty layered pumpkin topiaries to sit outside the door...  Oh, there's so many ways to dress up the home to welcome a beautiful new season; one simply has to settle on what exactly one wants to do.  And inspiration for that never seems to be scarce.  :)

I could go on for a while longer with my list of favorite things for the autumn, but I'm forcing myself to leave it at this point.  I have to leave some things to write about later, don't I?  I really cannot wait for autumn to be here--there's so many new things to do, so many changes and adventures to come.  In the meantime, we're about to head out of town again, for the weekend...so I had probably better kick myself into high gear and get to packing before Mr. Darcy comes home from work!  Here's wishing all y'all a lovely weekend, whatever you're doing and wherever you are.  

À bientôt!

-- Cait

What I Wore Today

I really enjoy planning the outfits that I wear each day, whether I'm going to work, to church, on a date with Mr. Darcy, shopping with friends...you get the idea.  Part of it is because I have so many great sources for inspiration around me: magazines such as InStyle, StyleWatch, and Lucky, and websites such as Pinterest and, yes, Polyvore.  Another part of it is that I simply enjoy finding new ways to remix my wardrobe and develop my personal style.

Today, I picked out an outfit that was built upon a Chanel-esque theme.  Details of the outfit follow the collage below.  However--believe you me--none of the pieces that I wore today cost anything near the price that some of their equivalents that I had to use from Polyvore.  $995 for a necklace?  C'est chouette! But a little out of my price range.

(http://www.polyvore.com/little_bit_chanel/set?id=48090568)

This is the best equivalent of the outfit that I wore today, but it isn't an exact copy by any means.  Allow me to break down for you the different components of this look, as I styled it.  :)

Cardigan: Pearl-embellished cardigan, from Forever 21.

Top: from Dillard's, and mine has a fun black crocheted lace neckline.

Skirt: from the thrift store...for about $3!

Shoes: platform peeptoe slingbacks, from Charlotte Russe.  

Belt: reversible faux snakeskin, from Target. (One side is black, one side is brown.)

Earrings: from Claire's/the Icing.

Necklace: from Mr. Darcy, for Christmas 2009. 

Oh, and a nice detail for those of us who are looking to be cost-efficiently stylish?  None of these pieces--with the exception of my heart necklace, which was a gift from my husband, so I don't know how much it cost--cost over $40.  Target, Charlotte Russe, and Forever 21 are excellent stores!  

As I was going with a somewhat retro look for this Chanel-ian ensemble, I decided to pair the outfit with a modern twist on the winged-out cat eye makeup and bright lipstick.  I wore my hair down, letting it do a wavy bedhead sort of thing, but Polyvore didn't have any good photos of that sort of hairstyle, and a messy bun would look just as nice with this outfit.  

Liquid eyeliner: brown, from Lancôme.  (Brown, for a softer cat eye.)

Blush: Bella Bamba, from Benefit.  (My wedding day blush!)

Lipgloss: electric pink La Laque lipgloss, from Lancôme.

Highlighting concealer: Maybelline.  (I will review this product soon--it's amazing!)

And that's it!  I like the look of a somewhat monochromatic outfit sometimes.  The varying shades of black, neutral, cream, and white keep the look from being too severe, while the rose-shaped earrings, the lacy neckline of the shirt, and the sky-high peeptoe heels both lengthen the legs and give the feet a dainty, elegant outline.  My theory?  You can almost never, ever go wrong with an outfit when you're taking inspiration from Ms. Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel.

À bientôt!

Cait

A Repurposed T-shirt Tutorial

I'm going to start this post with saying WOW, it's been one of those evenings that gets your mind spinning in crazy circles, leaving you wondering What the heck just happened?--These are all very common troubles, so why are they distressing me so very much?--and finally, Can life normalize and today just be over already? 

First, Mr. Darcy and I have recently been dealing with the usual frustrations that one can expect to encounter during house-hunting.  Mr. Darcy has been very proactive in working with a few realtors in the area where we will be moving, and that has proven to be much more helpful than trying to search out living places on our own.  All the same...it's going to take time to find the right new home for us; this I know, and we've just begun to look within the past few weeks.  Prayers and encouragement have certainly meant a lot to us in this process, as it is a major change in our life together.

Second, we've been having car issues today, and that always tends to get nerves riled and worries stirred up.   Fortunately, Mr. Darcy and I tend to manage fairly well together in times like these, and that is a wonderful blessing for our marriage.  Our personalities, strengths, and weaknesses balance each other out.  (The Lord knew what He was doing when He made us and put us together!)

The car situation was solved--as much as it could be solved today--with the help of his truly amazing, generous, and loving parents.  I could not ask for a better family-in-law than my husband's family.  They are all constantly selfless, giving, understanding, and warm-hearted people, and they have truly made me one of their own in the short few years that have passed since I met them.  The car will be fixed, one way or another, and in the meantime I'm again thankful.  I have such a wonderful family.  The stress will eventually wear off--and all of these things really aren't terrible.  They're just the kind of things that I unfortunately allow to get under my skin and, to re-use an earlier phrase, ruffle my feathers.      

Now, all of that having been said--how about that's enough storytelling, and let's move on to the promised repurposed t-shirt tutorial?  I thought you'd agree.  There are two t-shirts that I've made over recently; the t-shirt in the tutorial that follows is the second of the two, and at the end of the tutorial is photos of the first t-shirt makeover.

-Step #1: Materials- 

For this shirt, I used:

a pencil

scissors

fabric pins

a needle

embroidery floss

two knit materials (a shirt and pair of shorts, in this case)

a basic white t-shirt (from Target)

First, I made up a design for the words and pictures that I wanted to attach to the shirt.  Then, I used the pencil to lightly sketch the shape of a heart onto the old pink t-shirt, and the word "Paris" onto the heather-grey shorts.  At this beginning step, I did not do anything to the white t-shirt yet. 

-Step #2: Paris-

This step took some tricky scissors-work, I have to admit.  After I sketched the outline of the word "Paris" onto the grey shorts, I cut out the word and laid it out to make certain that the letters looked all right and lay well on a flat surface.  Then I cut out the shape of the pink heart from the old pink t-shirt.  So, to make certain we're on the same page--the white t-shirt is the base for the design, the grey shorts compose the word "Paris", and the old pink t-shirt is used for the shape of the pink heart.  Easy as pie! 

-Step #3: Lots of Pinning and Some Back-Stitching-

Unfortunately, this is not a great picture, but hopefully you can see what I did here in this step.  I pinned the word "Paris" and the pink heart onto the t-shirt, making certain to center them as much as possible.  (Note: be careful to pin whatever you're pinning to the front of the t-shirt only!  You don't want to pin through the front and back of the shirt, because you won't be able to get your hands through to sew the accents onto the shirt.)  Then, I began to sew.  

Using a lighter grey embroidery floss and the back stitch technique, I sewed "Paris" onto the shirt.  I had to be careful to sew through the front of the shirt only--breezing along and then suddenly realizing that you've sewed the front of a garment to the back of the garment is an awful thing to have happen when sewing!  But if you work slowly and carefully, you won't so much have this problem.  "Slow and steady wins the race!", as the old story about the tortoise and the hare tells us, and this is true in sewing projects as well as it is a lot of the time in life.

Using the same back stitch--I definitely recommend watching the YouTube video of this sewing technique; the video is a much better means of explaining it than a pictorial diagram--I then sewed the words "holds the" and "to my", using a darker grey embroidery floss.

-Step #4: The Key and the Heart-

Having sewed the words onto the shirt, I moved on to sewing the shape of the key and adding the shape of the pink heart.  I used a combination of pale yellow and metallic gold embroidery flosses for the key, and outlined the pale pink heart in a slightly darker shade of pink embroidery floss.  Again, I just used the back stitch technique, and didn't worry too much about a raw edge of the fabric showing here and there.  It gives the shirt a nice, worn look, and the back-stitch keeps the material from any threat of unravelling or falling off.  Then, I added a little knot for the period on the end of the sentence, after the shape of the heart.

-The Completed Project-

"Paris holds the key to your heart,
And all of Paris plays a part.
Just stroll two by two
Down what we call 'la rue'
And soon all Paris
Will be singing to you!
Ooh La La
Ooh La La
Ooh La La!"

--from the "Anastasia" soundtrack; 

song composed by Stephen Flaherty 

Well, truth be told...it is Mr. Darcy who truly holds the key to my heart, and he knows it.  But I have a great fondness for the City of Light, even though I have never visited it.  (The closest that I've been to Paris was when my family once visited a few neighboring countries...France was, unfortunately, not among them.)  So, the above photo is my statement t-shirt for my love of Paris, repurposed from an old, plain white t-shirt, an old pink t-shirt, and a pair of heather-grey shorts.

And here is the first t-shirt that I made over.

I cannot actually claim responsibility for the idea of this shirt.  On a few places on the internet, I had seen the idea of putting the word "y'all" on a t-shirt, with a pair of cowboy boots standing in place of the two L's, and I just had to try making my own version.  Again, I used an old t-shirt for the cut-out letters and sewed them onto the brown t-shirt with embroidery floss.  It's a somewhat time-consuming project, and you have to be willing to tackle a bit of sewing...but I promise you, it is fun, super inexpensive, and totally worthwhile!

Happy sewing, y'all!

À bientôt!

Cait

Classics

Like many other women, there are a few items that I return to using--or wearing--every year during the spring and summer.  I thought that for today's post, I would share a few of them with you.

-No. 1-

brown wedge heels

There isn't enough that I can say in praise of this style of shoes.  

They pair well with practically everything.  

They're very comfortable, and they don't hurt my feet when I wear them for long periods of time. 

They can be casual or dressed-up, depending on what you wear them with.  

This pair is from Target this spring.  $24.99!

-No. 2-

neutral metallic flat sandals

The glamorous, strappy gladiator-style sandal has been a beloved warm weather footwear choice for a while now, and it doesn't look to be slowing down in stylishness or popularity in the slightest.

I bought these sandals at Target a few summers ago.  

This particular style isn't being sold anymore, but there are several other styles that are currently available that are both similar and slightly different, in metallic and vibrantly colorful materials.

I like the neutral silver-bronze of these sandals.  It doesn't make me look paler than I already am,

and it compliments--not competes with--practically any outfit that I wear them with.

-No. 3-

maxi dresses (or skirts!)

My favorite way to describe these long, flowy, and infinitely comfortable 

yet incredibly stylish and flattering dresses is "like wearing a sweatsuit, only dressed-up!"  

And a lot of people that I know would tell you the same thing.  

Maxi dresses are non-restrictive and voluminous, allowing you to move freely and not experience the sensation of being trapped inside a bunch of fabric.  They make your figure look long and column-like, because of the way that the material hangs off the body in long, vertical lines.  

So if you're tall, these dresses will flatter your figure, and if you're not tall--like me, I'm 5'4"--a maxi dress can make you look tall and slim...especially if you wear it with a shoe that has a bit of height.

-No. 4-

tank tops

Tank tops are endlessly versatile shirts.  They can be worn in so many different ways, 

and they come in so many different colors and patterns, with a myriad of different accents and embellishments.  These are some of my favorite tops, which have been accumulated from stores like 

Target, Old Navy, and JCPenney's.  

I like the feel and fit of the tank tops from Target the best.  I find that they don't stretch out too easily, they don't shrink like some other brands' tank tops do, and--most importantly--they're on the long side, so I'm really never faced with the fashion and comfort scourge that is a too-short, shrunken tank top.  And they're also extremely decent in price--usually around $8 a shirt.  Not bad at all.  I highly recommend these little sleeveless wonders for comfortable and stylish warm weather wardrobes.

-No. 5-

bright coral nail varnish

Yes, I'm still on the tangerine-coral-bright orangish red kick.

It's a fabulous summery color, and it looks great on any skin tone!  

This is a nail varnish that I found at Target last summer, in a shade called "Big Daddy" 

by the brand Sinful Colors.  I was originally looking for the shade "Braziliant" by Essie, which turned out to be more orange than I was hoping for when I found it in the store.  I next turned to the shade "Clambake", also by Essie, and that was almost the shade that I purchased...until I decided that I would rather look around for a close match to the Essie nail varnish, from a less pricey brand.  Essie is a great brand, but sometimes spending $8 on a bottle of nail polish just isn't in my budget.   Then I discovered Sinful Colors, and matched "Clambake" with "Big Daddy".  It's almost exactly the same shade, and it has a beautiful bright, shiny look on the nails.  And it costs only about $2!

-No. 6-

sugar scrub body wash

This has been my absolute favorite warm weather skincare product for the past several summers.

It works to gently exfoliate the skin: buffing away dead skin cells to even out the skin tone and reveal the new, fresh, and glowing skin underneath, and preps the skin for your daily moisturizer or sunless tanner.  I have very sensitive skin, and this scrub doesn't make it feel dry or irritated.  The smell of this scrub is also nothing short of glorious!  It has a sweet, almost buttery aroma, like sugar cookies, but it's also pleasantly fragrant and almost floral...almost like a lovely, breezy night on a tropical beach.

And the best part?  This is a Caress product, and so you can find it at almost any grocery or drug store.

-No. 7-

makeup favorites

The brand Fresh--available at Sephora, Ulta, and other stores--offers its buttery, hydrating lip balm in an ever-increasing line of shades, which has recently been expanded to include this year's popular coral trend.  It is a staple product in my makeup arsenal, and although it's a bit pricey for a lip balm, it really works to keep my lips smooth and hydrated, and it looks lovely.

Covergirl's Liquiline Blast eyeliner goes on smoothly and has a great, rich pigment.  Its formula allows for you to draw it on with the precision and concentration of a liquid eyeliner, and it stays on really well through the day.  It helps if you add a swipe of an eyeshadow--in a similar shade as the pencil, or a different shade if you like--over the eyeliner to help hold it in place, if the weather is especially warm.

I turn to Jergens self-tanning moisturizer almost every year to help me look a little less pale than I naturally am, after a friend told me several years ago about how well it worked for her.  It takes a few days to build up the color, so you have time to adjust any missed places or blotches that might occur...hey, it happens.  It gives me a nice amount of color, it moisturizes nicely, and it doesn't smell awful as some other self-tanners have been known to do...what's not to love?

-No. 8-

citrus cilantro home fragrance

This is, bar none, my favorite home fragrance for the warmer months in the year.  It is fresh and invigorating, somewhat fruity--in that orangey, lemony, grapefruity way--and also somewhat green.  It is also offered in a full range of products at Pier 1, so whether you like reed diffuser fragrances, room sprays, or candles...you can't fail to find one that works best for your home.  And that reminds me, it really is high time that I get myself over to Pier 1 and buy some more of this room spray.

So, these are a handful of my favorite things for spring and summer--the list is by no means exhaustive, but these are all definitely things that I find myself going back to year after year.  What are some things that you like to include in your spring and summertime wardrobe, makeup arsenal, and home?  

À bientôt!

Cait

PS  The only images on this post that I claim as my own are the photos of the shoes, clothes, and nail varnish.  All of the others are from various sources on the internet, via Google image search, and I do not  claim them to be mine or anyone else's but their respective owners.  C'est tout.

A New {albeit not unfamiliar} Favorite

Well, perhaps I'm behind on the times--though my research thus far leads me to think otherwise--but I just yesterday discovered Pantone's Color of the Year for 2012.  If you are unfamiliar with Pantone, simply give the link a click and explore away.  It's really a very cool corporation that deals with...you guessed it...color.  And when I say "color", what I mean is all sorts of glorious colors, in every possible variation that one can humanly imagine.  For the year 2012, their choice of color is Pantone 17-1463, otherwise known as Tangerine Tango.

And it is gorgeous.

Last year, Pantone chose shade 18-2120--Honeysuckle--as their color of the year.  Their version of the color honeysuckle is a rather medium shade of pink with bluish undertones, almost bordering on mauve.

    (Photo source: www.pantone.com, via Google images)

It's a nice color, don't get me wrong--but Honeysuckle didn't quite catch my eye and cause all sorts of interest and admiration.  We all have our favorite hues, but this one just isn't one of mine.  And then I saw this year's color, and I must say...

Pantone, you had me at "tangerine".

(Photo source: www.blog.imagesmith.com, via Google images)

Red has been a favorite color of mine for a long time.  But now, this year, there is this shade of red, and it is a red that is a fiery red with a healthy and vibrant splash of orange.  I think this is my new favorite color.  It's bright and vivacious, sharp yet sophisticated, bold yet alluring.  It brings to mind not just tangerines but also blood oranges and pomegranates and coral--and one of my favorite dresses that I have in my wardrobe.  It's a color that is--I think--universally flattering and appealing in any season of the year, in rain or shine.  In this shade, there are so many items that look "simply stunning", as Mr. Darcy would call it.  

And yes, as you've most likely already guessed, Pantone's Tangerine Tango has immensely inspired me. Might I present two forms of this inspiration?  Very well!

First off, we have tangerine as a fashion statement shade.

Tangerine can be worn in cosmetics, as a color note in a blush, lip-color, or nail polish.  It's a shade that is rather fiery, yet it also has some bluish undertones...and that means that whether you have a warm, yellow-based complexion or a cool, pink-based complexion, tangerine is a shade that can work for you.  It's also a shade that works really nicely when you base a makeup look around it: as you can see from the picture of the model above, she's wearing a tangerine shade of lip-color, and a bit of the same shade in her blush.  (What you can't see in the picture is that her nails are also painted the same shade...sometimes, an application of the same color in slightly different tones and amounts can work together to be cohesively pretty.)  

If you're going to use tangerine anywhere in your makeup, just keep the rest of your makeup clean and simple.  After all, tangerine is a bright shade--and bright shades deserve some respect too.

My thoughts on wearing tangerine in your clothing or accessories follow along that line of thought.  You can wear an outfit that is composed entirely of different shades of tangerine for a tone-on-tone look, or you can wear a piece or two alone, for an eye-catching pop of color.  It really depends on your own personal style--but I guarantee you, tangerine is a shade that will not fail you. 

Secondly, we have tangerine as an interior decor statement shade.

For this set, I decided to compose a riff on a bright, saturated palette of tangerine shades that are accented by white, tan, and gold.  Whether this color is found in cosmetics, accessories, clothing, or interior decor, it is energizing, optimistic, and passionate.  A room done in these shades--whether it's this much color or less--seems to me as though it would be a light-filled and fun kind of space.

Tangerine can be sophisticated, bohemian, minimalist, romantic, or exotic, depending on what other accents and shades that are paired with it.  Neutrals look nice with tangerine, and brights look great with it too.  Turquoise is an obvious partner for tangerine, but red, fuschia, purple, cobalt, and seafoam green also coordinate with it.  A fun, bright shade such as tangerine should be played with in color combinations--compare and contrast it with other shades, and see how you can be inspired!

I'm looking forward to the new spring and summer trends for 2012--and tangerine will definitely be a major element in my wardrobe this year, I can tell you that much right now!

What colors and trends have caught your eye recently?

À bientôt!

Cait

After the Holidays

Phew!  Well, Christmas arrived and is gone again now, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day has passed, and now we are facing the first few weeks of January.  

The weeks leading up to Christmas saw me and Mr. Darcy packing up and moving out of our apartment; we are now settled into our new living quarters, and--while it has been an adjustment for both of us--we are both much less stressed out than we were before the move.  We watched my parents' house and their two dogs while Mom, Dad, and my two youngest sisters went out of town for a week after Christmas, and hosted our first New Year's Eve get-together.  Shortly after that, on King's Day, we hosted a French-themed dinner party for my best friend, Micah.  She had been having some serious health issues for a while that had prevented her from having a normal diet, and just before Christmas she had surgery to correct one of the issues.  Well, it turns out that this one issue was really the root-cause of most of her health problems, and now she is able to eat normally again!

Following that, I requested that she come up with a French-themed menu of foods that she most wanted to eat again, now that she could.  She asked for beef bourguignon, a simple greens-and-vinaigrette salad, and some kind of dessert.  My New Year's resolution was "Have more adventures!", so when she asked to have beef bourguignon for dinner--if it wasn't too difficult to make--I was eager to rise to the challenge.  It was time-consuming, more than anything else, but I found that beef bourguignon isn't difficult to make at all.  I used Ina Garten's recipe, from Food Network's website.

(Beef bourguignon doesn't look spectacular in a photo...but its taste is nothing less than sublime.)

(Table decor from the dinner party,  featuring fine china and silverware, a fun bowl-shaped candle, 

and my very own brand-new, platinum-hued charger plates, a Christmas gift from my grandmother.)

(Shoes!  Clockwise: Micah's dangerously chic cage booties,  my pretty peep-toe pumps, 

and Jenn's strappy and sophisticated rosette-embellished heels.) 

The beef bourguignon turned out nicely, and paired well with the loaf of French bread that I bought.  Her mother made the salad that Micah had requested: field greens with a raspberry vinaigrette and walnuts.  And for dessert, we had crepes with a buffet of various toppings.  We had Nutella, sliced bananas, sliced strawberries, frozen vanilla yogurt, peanut butter and granola, and more...and that was when I decided that crepes-with-your-choice-of-toppings were definitely a good dessert idea for a party!  Everyone really enjoyed themselves that evening: from getting to dress up in our favorite French-inspired outfits, to the food, to Jenn and her husband's surprise appearance at the front door just before dinner started.  Great friends and great food never fail to make for a wonderful time.

That was this past weekend; this week, it's back to work, Bible studies, and time with the family and friends again.  I'm hoping that soon I'll be able to get started on my next "adventure"--which will be digging my new sewing machine out of its box and starting to work on the first sewing project that I've had in a while.  I'm hoping to make a dress, something that will look similar to this sundress, by dELiAs...

That is, of course, provided that I can find a suitable sewing pattern, and white eyelet lace material that does not cost an arm and a leg.  I have a $25 gift card to work with at the fabric store, and I'm determined to use it wisely.  Wish me luck...

Now, I'm off to take care of Mr. Darcy, who--like me--is suffering from a bit of a head cold.  We've been a sad, sniffling pair today!

À bientôt,

Cait