Outfit log: Feelin' Frilly

Oh what a day! I have been go-go-going since 7:15 this morning! Settling last minute event setup stuff, working on details for an event next week that are urgent, working our event today including the a/v setup (a/v=stressful!), schlepping a/v stuff back to the tech peeps, catching up on emails and voicemails back in the office... phew! Just finally getting a chance to take a breath, and the day is just about over. It may have been a little bit stressful, but I love when the workday goes by so fast, and with so much productivity on my part!

Occasion: Dressy Workday, Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Details:
cardigan - jcrew outlet, remixed
tunic - h&m, remixed
belt - dsw, gift, remixed
necklace - gift
skirt - jcrew, remixed
tights - limited, old, remixed
shoes - nicole via dsw, remixed

Last time I sported this tunic/cardigan/belt combo, I tucked in the tunic, but I was surprised to see that left un-tucked it kinda played off of the frills around the neckline. And I love how the black tights and mary-janes played off of the leopard print. Basically, I felt amazing in this ensemble all day! Give me leopard-print, frilliness and mary-janes, and I am one happy-chick :)

Makeup:
makeup base (clinique almost powder makeup & all about eyes concealer)
eye shadow (eyelids) - mac "juxt"
eye shadow (outer creases) - mac eye shadow in "plumage"
eye liner (outside corners, top & bottom lashlines) - mac eye shadow in "graphology"
maybelline blackest black mascara
bobbi brown blush in "ski slopes"
MAC lustre lightly lipstick in "ripe"

I was also feeling extra foxy with my new eye shadow (debuted yesterday) that I applied more dramatically today. The shadow in the crease pretty much matches the outer rim of my iris, with the overall lid color closely matching the inner part. I finished the look with a charcoal/almost navy shadow as liner, and voila! Also, my makeup totally matched my abalone necklace... a piece I've been drawn to a lot lately.

Rushing off to leave early after getting to work at the buttcrack of dawn! Hope ya'll had a fabulous day :)

Outfit log: Structured Jacket

Oh what a weekend! Friday night Nic and I stayed in with the last disc of the Tales of the City Miniseries (a must-see or read for any Bay Area lovers) and got to bed early. Then Saturday morning I hit up Aveda and MAC for some reader-recommended hair products and eye shadow! So fun! Sunday morning I went shopping for Super Bowl snacks, then Nic and I de-Gray Garden-ed our apartment (it was getting scary) before having some buddies over to watch the game (or, in my case, eat lots of snacks!). After the game ended, our buds stayed and Nic taught them Texas Hold 'Em and we played until bedtime. Phew!

Occasion: Casual workday, Monday, February 8, 2010

Details:
jacket - zara, thrifted by mom
dark lavender LS tee - michael stars, thrifted by mom, remixed
light lavender tank - jcrew outlet, remixed
jeans - joe's "muse" wide leg, remixed
sneakers - converse
scarf - conference vendor

I've been wanting to sport this awesome chanel-esque jacket for months now (my awesome mom picked it up for me at her favorite resale store in St. Louis), but couldn't quite figure out how to wear it without showing how short the sleeves are. Well this morning in a slightly hungover/very sleepy stupor, it dawned on me that the simplest jeans/sneakers/t shirt combo would be perfect!

Makeup:
makeup base (clinique almost powder makeup & all about eyes concealer)
eye shadow - mac "juxt"
eye liner (top only) - mac eye shadow in "plumage"
maybelline blackest black mascara
bobbi brown blush in "ski slopes"

Since I have greenish hazel eyes, I've always steered clear of greenish eye shadow, thinking it would be too much green, but after seeing a colleague sport it recently (and getting multiple reader suggestions for green as a good red hair color complement), I headed into MAC to see what they had. I ended up purchasing a pale light green kinda satiny eye shadow and a dark teal/green eye shadow to use as liner and for contouring. Today I kept it simple by only applying the light green eye shadow on my eyelids, and applying the shadow liner to the outer edges of my lash lines. I finished it up with mascara on both lash lines. Voila!

How was your weekend?

Outfit log: Gone Red for Women!

Do you know what the #1 killer of women in America is? Heart Disease. Inspired by National Wear Red Day, I wanted to take today's post to talk about what I've done and am doing to reduce my risk!

Not Smoking
Earlier this week I celebrated my 3-year anniversary of quitting smoking (I was a half-pack a day smoker from age 17-23). I quit for many reasons, the last of which was health. Because I was a young smoker, I wasn't too worried yet about heart disease or lung cancer, I was way more concerned with stinking like smoke, not being able to exercise, and getting yellow teeth. But, ANY reason to quit is a good one, and a great side benefit of quitting smoking is that I cut my risk of heart attack and stroke in half in just my first year of being smoke-free! Whatever motivates you to quit, whether it be superficial or health-related, use it. (If you are thinking of quitting smoking and want some tips from an ex-smoker, let me know! I'd be happy to share what helped ME to finally be successful!)

Exercising More
Okay, so I'm an inconsistent workout-er, but I'm trying to get more regularly active in different ways. This week, for example, I walked the hill into work instead of taking the shuttle. I'm hoping to continue increasing my activity level, and find the motivation to get back into running, yoga, or just hitting up the elliptical at the gym a couple of times a week. The hardest part for me is actually making it to my exercise locale of the day, so my personal challenge for the next three weeks is to go to the gym twice per week, regardless of how long or how intensely I workout. Baby steps are good :)

Eating Healthy
By eating healthy now, I can reduce my future risks of high blood pressure and cholesterol, both of which contribute to risk for heart disease and other illnesses. Unfortunately, eating healthy can be a challenge, especially for a coward-in-the-kitchen like me. That's why I'm making a goal of learning how to cook more healthy meals utilizing all of the healthy cookbooks that are collecting dust in my kitchen. This week I made a pasta dish that I've finally gotten comfortable cooking without having to check the recipe 500 times (only 3 times this last time!), so I'm going to think of that recipe and how much I love it when trying to conquer others!

To find out more about your risks and get some practical prevention tips, visit http://www.goredforwomen.org/!

Now onto my outfit!

Occasion: Go Red for Women Day (Casual Workday), Friday, February 5, 2010

Details:
red dress - maxstudio outlet
cardigan - jcrew outlet, remixed
belt - dsw, gift, remixed
tights - ??
boots - rockport, remixed
abalone necklace - gift, remixed

I was a little nervous about wearing red today because

1. the only red items in my wardrobe are old t-shirts, underwear, a sweatshirt, and this dress, and
2. I wasn't sure how bright red would go with new hair. 

...but finally putting this dress to use was a fun creativity challenge (I've only worn it once before), and the bright red totally works with my hair, kinda making it appear more auburn. I wore this cardigan because I was worried about so much red near my face and hair, and I love how it turned out. I choose the leopard belt because it's fabulous and mixes things up, and the abalone necklace to add a hint of pale blue for contrast. Finally, the boots were in preparation for the rain coming this evening, and the patterned tights played in nicely with the rest of my pattern mixing.

Makeup:
makeup base (clinique almost powder makeup & all about eyes concealer)
eye shadow - mac "retrospeck"
eye liner - mac eye shadow in "embark"
bobbi brown "pink sugar" shimmer lip gloss
bobbi brown blush in "ski slopes"

Since the red dress felt so bold, I didn't want to go heavy on my eye shadow so just covered each lid with a shimmery champagne color. Then I lined top and bottom lash lines with a dark almost navy eye shadow (to contrast subtly against my hair and dress, followed by mascara on top and bottom lashes. Blush and lip gloss completed the look!

This is NOT a sponsored post. Just passing along the message of good health and prevention to my fabulous readers!

Outfit log: She's a Lady

Well, poop. My camera died after my first set of pictures, so I only have one of my outfit picture that turned out well. Instead of waiting for tonight to take better pics, I thought I'd go ahead and share my one outfit pic and the low-quality makeup pics I took with my phone. Some days you just gotta go with the flow!

Like yesterday... I tried to go with the flow, but it felt more like I was swimming upstream (can I use more cliches in this post?!). It was just a funky day! I had a bunch of accounting crap to take care of, plus my colleagues required assistance with several small, yet urgent tasks, I hadn't slept well, wasn't feeling particularly in love with my hair, and basically was a bit cranky! But... the day ended, Nic cooked us just a freaking FABULOUS dinner and listened to my bitchin', and I got to watch an episode of Fringe. I woke up this morning feeling inspired by ya'll, and put together this outfit, which I'm feeling pretty sassy in!

Occasion: Dressy workday, February 3, 2010

Details:
cardigan - jcrew outlet, remixed
belt - h&m, remixed
skirt - gap, old, remixed
tights - ??
oxfords - clarks outlet, remixed

Last night as I contemplated what I would wear today, I was specifically thinking of Starling's advice to wear "rich jewel tones" since they are "fantastic with that particular shade of auburn." I pulled out this gorgeously colored blue cardigan, and thought pairing it with a neutral/printed skirt would be a nice combo.

Makeup:
basic base (both clinique almost powder makeup & all about eyes concealer)
mac "retrospeck" powder eye shadow
mac fluidline in blacktrack (liner on top lash line)
estee lauder bronze goddess sheer lip tint (it's a lipstick) in fuscia
bobbi brown blush in ski slopes

Since the silhouette of this ensemble feels kinda retro-50s-housewife, I though twirling the front pieces of my hair and pinning them back would add to the theme (plus day 2 of my curly hair just doesn't look right worn down). I completed the look with cat-eye liner on my upper lash lines and bright pink lipstick. (To see much better quality shots of this makeup, check out the last time I wore it.) I was a littler nervous about not being able to wear my favorite pink lipstick with my new 'do, but it actually worked well together... something about the blue of the cardigan complementing both colors I think.

Thank you so much for your awesome suggestions! I'm working on compiling a post on your tips, so stay tuned :)

Outfit log: Curly (New)Redhead with a Reader Request

Thank you for all of the lovely comments on my hair yesterday! They definitely contributed to the awesome mood I had going on :)

Today I'm not quite at that ecstatic peppy level, probably because I didn't sleep terribly well last night and felt uninspired getting dressed this morning. I used to have this feeling all the time (pre-blog) where I just was compelled to buy new clothes because my old ones were boring. What I have learned through blogging and remixing (and trying to save money!)  is that there are gems in my wardrobe just waiting to be used... I just have to take the time and put in the energy to be creative with them! Some days, however, I seriously cannot think of a new way to wear stuff, and this leads me to frustrated rushing and trying on of what feels like 500 items. This morning was one of those mornings, but crunched for time I put this outfit together quicker than I anticipated.

Occasion: Casual workday, Tuesday February 2, 2010

Details:
cardigan - gap, remixed
gray shirt - nordstrom
jeans - delias, remixed
blue suede shoes - target, remixed
belt - dsw, gift, remixed
necklace - gift from boo, remixed

Like Indiana of Adored Austin, I am a big fan of the belted-long-cardigan look. It is just so comfy and figure-flattering all day long! The pop of leopard print and blue shoes added some interest to the gray/jeans combo.

Makeup:
eyeshadow (all over eyelid) - mac retrospeck
eyeshadow (crease) - mac cork
eyeshadow (top lash line liner) - mac embark
clinique all about eyes concealer (under eyes and on eyelids as base)
clinique almost powder makeup
maybelline great lash blackest black mascara on top lashes only
bobbi brown blush in ski slopes
laura gellar lipgloss in chilled maple

Today's makeup was a little rushed, so I did a toned-down neutral eye, concentrating on my top eyelids and leaving my lower lashlines bare.

Now I want to shift gears and ask ya'll for some advice! Never having been a redhead before, do you have any tips for me on any of the following? I would so appreciate it!

1. From you fellow (or previously) artificial redheads (or hair stylists!) - tips for keeping the color from fading too fast?
2. Colors that complement crimson (makeup or clothing)?
3. Any good products you recommend?

Thanks, peeps! You really always have the best suggestions :)

Outfit log: Just call me April O'Neil

This past weekend was just fabulous! On Friday night Nic and I joined up with some friends in the city for a birthday celebration at a Japanese restaurant with private karaoke rooms (Yamasho, for those in the area). It was a blast! More than half of the 10 peeps there had never karaoke'd before, but because of the intimate setting (and the free-flowing sake) they got up the courage and seriously rocked it out! Oh, it was just amazing. I'm still beaming thinking about how much fun we all had :)

Then Saturday afternoon I got to hang out with one of my favorite ladies ever, Ramona!! We met up around the corner from my place, sipping beer (her) and tea (me - a little hungover) while catching up. Ramona moved from the Bay to New York a couple of years ago, so it's really a treat to get some quality time with her! While not a fashion blog, I totally recommend that you go check out 3-the hard way, a collaborative blog Ramona shares with two blog-to-real-life friends, but only if you have time for "dope ass bitches" (see the "about us" section). 

Sunday morning Nic and I helped our buddy Kate move, after she graciously cooked us breakfast. After we got her all situated, I headed back into the city Sunday night to visit my amazing hair stylist for a little hair change-a-roo!

Occasion: Casual workday, Monday, February 1, 2010

(my 3 year anniversary of quitting smoking!)

Details:
cardigan - jcrew outlet, remixed
belt - mark shale, on clearance, remixed
skirt - h&m, remixed
tights - target, remixed
boots - dan post, remixed
necklace - gift, remixed

I tried to think of an outfit last night to showcase my new hair color, but couldn't come up with anything. I was thinking blue would really bring out the red, but I guess I don't have that many blue items. I ended up going with this neutral cardigan to let the red shine out on it's own :)

To put this ensemble together I thought of combinations I liked in two previous outfits, and combined them. I'm thinking this might be a good way to mix stuff up easily when my creative juices need a little priming.

Makeup: details here

Whenever I change up my hair (until now all I have changed is adding highlights), I feel the urge to pile on the eye makeup. So, that's what I did today! Borrowing the idea from my outfit, I used neutral colors to let the green in my eyes stand out. 

Outfit log: Coral, Cream & Chocolate

Last night, finally, Nic and I did an enormous amount of laundry, which made getting dressed this morning so exciting :) What I didn't expect was that the only freshly laundered items I chose to wear were my socks and cords!

I thought I'd show you the various layers to this outfit, since I'm in and out of them all day, so be prepared for photo overload! I hope it doesn't hurt your eyes too much ;)

Occasion: Casual workday, Friday January 29, 2010

Details:
tunic - anthro on sale
cords - banana republic, after xmas clearance ($30!), remixed
boots - rockport via endless.com, remixed
bolero - anthro, remixed
necklace - ??
jean jacket - the limited circa 1998
scarf - burberry, gift, remixed
bag - coach

I am so stoked to finally wearing this tunic on my blog! I seriously haven't worn it in months and months because, let's face it, it's damn chilly in San Francisco almost all the time so short sleeves by themselves are more often than not (even in the dead of Summer) a no-go. I just adore the way this top fits me (the smocking, the sleeves, the color, oh my!),  so every time I get to wear it I just feel lovely all day. Don't you just love clothing items like that?

Anyway, inspired by What Would a Nerd Wear's recent posts (1 & 2) about the trouble of pairing her similarly colored skirt with other colors, I thought this creamy tan wool bolero would complement the coral-color tunic well while winterizing it and without taking away the shape that I so love. I ended up keeping the bolero unbuttoned because it showcased the boob-flattering smocking, and added emphasis to the hourglass shape created by the whole outfit. I finished up the ensemble with some small pops of blue through my abalone ring and light blue glass bead necklace, which contrasted perfectly with the rest of the warmer tones.

Makeup:
eyeshadow (all over eyelid) - mac retrospeck
eyeshadow (crease) - mac corkeyeshadow (top lash line liner) - mac embark
eyeliner (cream liner on top lash line) - mac fluidline in dipdown
clinique all about eyes concealer (under eyes and on eyelids as base)
clinique almost powder makeup
maybelline great lash blackest black mascara on top lashes only
bobbi brown blush in ski slopes
laura gellar lipgloss in chilled maple

For makeup I went with a shimmery nude all over my eyelids and light brown in the creases. I then applied a dark brown shadow as a liner/guide to my top lash line followed by dark brown cream liner, winged out slightly to create a little mini-cat eye. Finished it up with black mascara on my top lashes only!