City Cowgirl - Houston BBQ

Last night I went to the World Championship BBQ Contest at the Houston livestock show and rodeo.  Now you know with a title like that and living in Texas, that one has to bring out her cowgirl persona.  I am sad that I do not own a pair of cowgirl boots yet :(. I know I know, I've been in Houston for 8 months and own no boots. But I will be getting a pair for the actual rodeo so that I can fit in. I also think I want a black hat!

Tired of the mundane pics in my apartment, I went to the top of my apartment complex to capture the city.

Choosing this outfit:
Originally I was going to wear boots, so I knew that I wanted skinny jeans.  Skinny jeans fit inside boots nicely, and they don't bunch like wide-leg jeans.  Then I wanted a button-down country shirt feel. I don't own plaid shirts, so I wore this Converse button-down.   Then I chose a belt with the biggest belt buckle out of my collection.  I originally had the button down on it's own, but then decided I wanted to be able to unbutton it.  I grabbed a tan tank top to wear underneath.  I changed from the boot idea to kitten heels, after my experience at the Pasadena BBQ where I walked around a lot. I decided these shoes would be more comfortable to walk in verses heeled boots.

This is where I come to the point where I can't explain why I chose the red shoes.  I looked and them and decided it would work.  Some people may have back away because compared to the rest of the outfit they really stand out, but I liked that.  They were the first shoes I saw in my closet and I went for it.  To compliment the shoes I chose a red necklace, and my friend Colette let me borrow her cowgirl hat.

 
Later I decided that the necklace was too girlie, and opted for a neck scarf.
Ensemble:
Necktie:  Self
Hat:  Friend
Necklace:  Charlotte Russe
Jeans:  NY&CO
Shoes:  Payless

 

~S

Storing Accessories

I don't know about you ladies, but I know that I have a ton of accessories and very limited space to store them all!!  I live in a one bedroom apartment in the city, and trust me, they weren't thinking of a fashionista with this closet they gave me!

My closet has no room for purses :(.  I would have had to pile them on the floor if it weren't for my lucky catalog day. One day, while roaming through a Bed, Bath, & Beyond Catalog, I stumbled on to an overthedoor purse holders.   Each pack comes with 2.

After finding a space for my handbags, I needed storage locations for my long necklaces.  Remember those?  Long necklaces were a big craze and still are, and I have a bunch.  Unfortunately these necklaces are too long to fit in your average jewelry box.  This is what I did with mine!  All you need is a pack of 3M wall hooks!

Also you may want to try color-coding the hooks. I tried that, but I shuffle so many different pieces it became a nuisance! As far as the rest of my jewelry I use basic jewelry boxes.  Both of the brown jewelry boxes I received as presents from my parents.  A girl should also have travel jewelry cases (those are the small ones on top).

My tip on earrings is as follows. If you don't have a lot of rings, use the ring section of your jewelry box to store small earrings, like studs, etc. I used to lose mine all the time, until I started doing this!

 ~S

Hot Maroon???

Location: Office
Jacket: Don't remember
Skirt: Target
Tights: Hue Brand (Macy's)
Shoes:  Carlos Santana (Macy's)
Belt:  NY&Co
Tank:  Charlotte Russe

Today, I stuck with the tights theme.  Who says you can't wear tights with open toe shoes?? Not I!  I love that look. I basically like any look that has a bright tight color with a different color shoe.  It's starting to feel just a tad like Spring here in Houston, so color is popping up everywhere. 

Accessorize to make this outfit your own. Instead of a belt, you may try a maroon scarf. Instead of wearing minimal jewelry, pile it on!  I chose to wear a pair of subtle earrings.  Yet this is my style. I like to let one thing stand out.  Others might like to have lots of things stand out. 

~S

A Blue Hue

Tights, ladies and gentlemen are the easiest accessory in the world.  This may take us back to our childhood of wearing tights as little girls....Grown women are supposed to wear shear pantyhose, right?  Wrong.  Colorful tights can take any bland outfit to the next level.

My favorite tights are Hue brand.  I buy mine from Macys.  2 for $20, and depending on the time of year, some colors may be on sale.

Tights:  Hue Brand (Macy's)
Shirt Dress:  NY&CO
Booties:  Payless
Earrings:  Self

~S

Houston Trend Report

Shecky's Houston Trend Report

The Comfy Suit

Key Item: Black and Blue Striped Pants
Location: Office
Temperature: 50

I find it's easier to put together an outfit the night before than the morning of. Last night I checked my trusty weather.com , and knew it was going to be a bit cool again today. As much as I hate the cold, I am enjoying wearing my winterwear. Key Item: Stripe Pants.

You'll find that the more and more you think of outfits, the easier this game becomes. When I see the weather I automatically get snapshots of what's in my closet and what I want to wear. So it's very easy for me to pick out the key item.

Attire
Pants: NY&Co
Shirt: NY&Co
Blazer: NY&Co
Laptop Bag: Target
Shoes: Connie (Famous Footwear)

I wore no accessories with this outfit, as I felt the gold flowers and the stripes on the pants were enough.

~S

The Clown Affair

Here's how to build an outfit based on a key item: Shirt

This is a very "grab your attention" shirt. To avoid looking like a clown, you should think of ways to minimize it, especially if you are wearing it for work.

First think of the pattern of the shirt. With a shirt like this, you probably want to stay away from any other patterns in your outfit.

Even though this shirt is only black and white, other colors could appear as a clash of patterns to the naked eye. Therefore I chose black as my toning down color. (You can hardly go wrong with black). First the shirt...a jacket or blazer could work to cover the shirt...but I liked the ruffles on the sleeve and did not want to hide them, therefore I thought vest. The shirt is long so I wanted a long vest. I then kept it basic with black pants.

With a shirt like this, you want to keep accessories small. I chose a pair of gunmetal studs, and an S-Chain necklace. I would even recommend forgetting the necklace all together.

Final Look

Pants: NY &Co
Shoes: Connie (Famous Footwear)
Shirt: Charlotte Russe
Vest: NY&Co

The Militant - A Rainy Day

Location: Office
Weather: 43 Degrees and Rain
Jacket: NY&Co
Tank Turtleneck: Charlotte Russe
Crop Pants: NY&CO
Boots: Aerosoles
Trenchcoat: New York and Company

Today it was cool in Houston, and I wanted to stay warm!! Remember to always pick one key item you want to wear and build from there. My item this time was the military jacket. The only way to be comfortable in a fitted-sleeve jacket, is to wear a shirt underneath that does not have sleeves. I chose a light blue tank turtleneck. It's a high-button jacket, so I suggest the turtleneck to ensure the shirt is still visible when the jacket is fully buttoned. On a warmer day I might have considered wearing pumps, but I pulled out my boots for the cold. When going out in the rain, makesure to weatherproof your shoes for the elements!

To top it off for a rainy day, what's more perfect than a rain coat? Every women should own at least one trench coat.

Choosing an Outfit

When trying to determine what to wear you must consider many factors:

1. Activity, Date, & Time
2. Location and Location's Dress Code
3. Weather @ time of activity
4. Functionality
5. Friend's style

Activity: Saturday night was my friend Jessica's Birthday party
Time: 8pm
Location: The party was at Lucky Strike Lanes and they have a strict dress code (posh)
Weather: Low 60s at 8pm
Functionality: Bowling party
Friend's Style: Friends birthday, do not want to be more dressed up than her.

Ok now that we have defined the 5, it's time to go to the closet. It's a birthday party, so you know you want to show some effort in your outfit (non-slob). The time is 8pm on a Saturday Night. Clothes worn at 3pm, are typically different from night-time wear, and it's at a bowling alley.

For bowling I suggest wearing closed-bottoms, like jeans or shorts (think twice about skirts and dresses). I chose a pair of black jeans
Black Skinny Jeans: NY & CO

I tend to sweat when bowling, because I'm pretty competitive so I wore a loose fitting tank top
Tank Top: NY&CO (Summer)

The weather is low 60s, so you'll want a jacket
Jean Jacket: NY&CO

Lucky Strike is a lounge, and therefore you can still wear cute shoes. Just pack a pair of socks in your purse for when you are bowling, and the heels for if you choose not to bowl. And you never know if your friend will want to go out after bowling, and you want to have that cute pair of shoes on the ready!
Shoes: Nine West

To add pizazz I added a solid black scarf and a pair of silver and gunmetal earrings
Accessories: Self


While bowling, you don't want to be fumbling around with a big bag, but you do need a bag big enough for your socks. A posh over the shoulder bag is the best bet. Then you dont' have to worry about it.
Over the shoulder bag: NY&CO

Final look

Salon Day

To be frank...going to a salon/spa can take up a LOT of your time. It doesn't matter if you are getting your hair styled, pedi-manis, waxing, massages, etc. For me? It's my hair. I know that when I go to the salon at least 2 hrs will be gone.

You should pick a day to get these things done when you have a lot of time to give up. Unfortunately for most women that time falls on the weekend. So even though you have free time so do the rest of the women in America.

Try finding out if your salon has evening hours during the workdays. Then, you could leave work 15 minutes early one day to make it to the salon. Usually salons aren't as busy during the work week because...everyone is working. Or if your particular item is very fast, maybe try going over lunch.

One time, I went to have my eyebrows waxed on a Sunday, and you would not believe the difference in wait time between Saturday and Sunday.

Use Time Effectively at Hair Appointment
When I go to the salon, I make sure I bring reading materials (usually my latest InStyle magazine or a book). I make sure my cell phone is FULLY charged. It's a nice time to bring an appointment book, and figure out what you have to do for the rest of the day before it's time to go out. Make sure you have snacks and a bottled water (or at least some loose change for the vending machine).

Finding a Hair StylistI recently had to change hair stylists, because mine moved to California in December :(. This is a very frightening time for a gal!! No longer do you have the comfort of consistency! Your stylist learns your hair from the inside out, she knows the right products to use, she knows how to make it look perfect. WHAT DO YOU DO NOW!?!?

To find a new stylist, I recommend asking a co-worker or friend whose hair always looks perfect! I am not one to try out different hair stylists for my hair with random drive-by salon visits. I need to go to someone right off the bat that knows what they are doing. My friend Valerie recommended me to Alex Burton Salon with stylist Felise Edwards on Westheimer.

I really like Felise and her assistant. They have styled my hair 3 times in the last 8 weeks! And the prices are reasonable. This is a picture of Felise's assistant who has found her own personal style! This could be you too!

All in all it was a good day at the salon
~S

The Neutral

Last night, was supposed to be my Friday Night In. I had ordered some food from a Mexican Restaurant earlier in the day and wasn't feeling so great...but around 9pm, I felt way better! So I headed out

Ensemble
Brown Over Shirt: Old Navy
Dark Purple Tank Top: NY&CO
Gold Necklace: H&M
Red Shades: NY&CO
Tan Boots: Victoria's Secret Shoe Catalog
Brown Leggings: Target ($6)
Raincoat: Steve Madden (Macy's)

We went to Davenports Martini Lounge on Richmond. It was very chill and they made really good drinks. It was an interesting time...though I definitely saw some "What Not To Wears!" I'm thinking about creating a "Don't Do This" Page....

Most of the time when I get dressed to go out, I just look at my closet and pick the first thing I want to wear, and then I pull everything to go with that one item. Last night I wanted to wear the leggings, and I went from there. I knew that I didn't want to have a whole bunch of colors, but I'm a big fan of the gradient look (the same colors at different levels). With leggings, you should try to wear a shirt that covers your butt, so then I knew I would have to look for a long shirt. That led me to the brown animal print overshirt (a bit 80s, but I like it). It is see-through so I had to wear a tank underneath, and I picked a purple body shaper from NY&CO. To complete the look, I chose my tan boots and tan raincoat. :)

Shoe Hospital

I spent $70.00 today picking up 5 pairs of shoes from the Houston Shoe Hospital. For the frugalista this is a shoe shoppers dream. I find myself very rough on shoes...from work shoes to going out shoes, or even the shoes that can pose as both.

If you buy a pair of shoes that are $40.00 and ruin the heel. (As in the heel falls off...like all of mine). What would you do? Some ladies would ditch 'em and buy a new pair of shoes. Well let's do the math.

Normal Method
5 pairs of shoes at $40.00 each = $200.00
5 new pairs of shoes to replace the old ones = $200.00
Total spent on 5 pairs of shoes (because remember you don't have 10, you have 5, because you threw the first 5 away....) = $400.

My Method
5 pairs of shoes at $40.00 each = $200.00
5 repairs @ Shoe Hospital =$70.00
Total on 5 pairs of shoes= $270.00

Total Savings = $130.00

The trick is to find a good shoe repair place. Maybe you can find one in your area that's even cheaper than what I got for mine. But you want to make sure that the fix they do, lasts for a long time. Ask around. I'm sure some of your co-workers or friends have repaired that favorite shoe that they just can't give away, so I'm sure you can find one. I took mine to the Houston Shoe Hospital on Sheperd Drive in Houston.

~S

Happy Hour Night & Menswear

Wow...Today I had two happy hours back to back. One was at Lupe Tortilla's for my co-worker that is moving to a new position. The second one was hosted by my Apartment Complex in the Heights Area of Houston.

Outfit of Choice: Menswear
Main Ensemble including Necklace: NY&CO
Shoes: Target
Jacket: Steve Madden (Macy's)
Purse: Victoria Secret

I decided to leave the shirt untucked, because it is a shorter shirt and I did not want the tucked/untucked drama. The pants are a dark gray, while the vest is a lighter gray, which ends the monotone vest-pant look and makes a gradient outfit.

My friend Liz, joined me for Happy Hour at Laurenza Grill in the Heights. She's so stylish!
Burberry Scarf and Leather Jacket! Cute Earrings too!

On the way out, we passed my future car: Aston Martin...had to snap a picture:

Food was amazing at Laurenza's, better than the food I had at Lupe Tortilla's an hour before!

Yummy,

~S