Inspired By

Inspired By

Isn't this a beautiful image?

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If it inspires you, too, why not find some things you already own that might help you re-create it?
I love this time of year because I'm starting to think about how anything I might purchase will transition into spring. I love this because you could swap in boots and tights for now and lose the jacket in the spring. Also, I of course love that nice high belt hitting at the skinniest part of her body and the longer length skirt that show just a bit of leg. Of course, you could go shorter with the skirt if you don't like this length.

Let's start with polka dots. ModCloth really nails it for the polka dots, I think. I have loved these polka dotted flats for a long time

and I just saw these thick heeled beauties, too! One reviewer says they're the most comfortable shoes she's ever worn.

If you're petite, this skirt hits in just the right place, but it might be a tad too short for anyone that is not petite. For my pants and shirts friends, this menswear-inspired shirt does such a nice job of mixing formal with whimsical. Wear it with trousers or skinny jeans.

Or what about polka dotted pants? I would love this look from Asos with a leather jacket over it, a larger necklace, and some ankle boots. Pant sizes 0-14.

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What about t-shirts? Chances are, you have some. If not, I like Etsy for whimsical, dorky t-shirts (Hogwarts!), which is what I think graphic tees should be about. Anything too witty can come across as mean. I like a graphic t-shirt to show off something truly dorky about myself. This one is a perfect example for women like me who watched My So Called Life in our teen years.

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My mom has a beautiful tank top with the moon on it that I'm still looking to recreate. This one comes close.

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In a similar vein, I love this Giving Tree tank for spring/summer.

What about this mermaid stunner with the flattering neckline? If you have this hair, I hope you're wearing a big, beautiful braid, too!

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Update: Thanks, Hannah, for the question about plus size graphic t-shirts! Here are a few favorites! It's pricey, but this star t-shirt looks super soft and is to-die-for. Asos, SimplyBe, and Torrid have fun options for t-shirts, like this sugar skull t-shirt! I also love Forever21 for cheeky t-shirts, too! This one could go easily from winter to summer with the right layers.

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Quite a few Etsy shops also carry a wide variety of sizes, too, just ignore some of the weirder options that you can find on Etsy. For example, this shirt is cute and comes in sizes XL to 3XL unisex, but the others in the store are just strange.

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If you're looking for options, try Cafe Press, which has thousands of t-shirts in many sizes. You can even design your own there! I'm not a visual artist so I used to find that overwhelming until I realized that I could browse Pinterst for inspiration for t-shirts. It makes it very easy!

FYI ModCloth is a sponsor, but this isn't a sponsored post. I chose them as a sponsor for their cute, vintage-veering styles, their free and fast shipping, and their variety of sizes.

The Post About Jennifer

The Post About Jennifer

Typically, my in-person client posts have less dramatic names, but I feel dramatic about this post and this client. Today's post is about Jennifer, my last client of 2013. If you follow me on instagram, you know that Jennifer was an incredibly special client.

To tell you about Jen, I first need to tell you that when I was driving to her house, I was more than a little worried that I was about to be kidnapped-or worse. Or at the very least punked. I take safety precautions before going into anyone's home, but on that day I had extra measures in place. You see, the email that Jennifer's husband sent to me (the day after Veterans' Day!) was, well, seemingly too-good-to-be-true. Here is an excerpt:

I am requesting a personal home and shopping experience for my wife.  She read about you on one of her favorite sites... Mrs. Mustard Seed.  Her 40th Birthday is December 9th and I am throwing her a surprise get together with a few friends on the 7th.  THE ONLY THING SHE WANTS FOR HER BIRTHDAY IS AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOU :)!

My wife is a very special person to everyone, but especially to me.  You see...I am a retired disabled vet.  I went through (and continue to suffer from) medical issues caused while serving.  Just diagnosing the issues was a long drawn out process that took years and let alone the surgeries to try and resolve them.  My wife, Jen, was by my side through it all.  I am sure you have heard stories like that before, but to be honest she was more than by my side.  She saved my life...just by being the most awesome and supportive friend I have ever had.   

This person went on to describe that his wife, Jennifer, is also active military. While he can no longer work, she continues to serve. He told me that they were soul mates. He told me that he wanted to have his family pool together money for me to take her personal shopping in lieu of any other gifts. He wanted to know if I would accept her as a client. Accept her!? If she was real, I would marry her! (Side note: I waived my fee and had Jen add it to her spending amount, which I only mention to tell you that Jen's response was to ask me if I would reconsider and make it a fund for another woman to get six hours with me. She's amazing.)

That is how I ended up meeting Jennifer on the weekend before Christmas. She was real, and this is how she looked when I arrived.

And this is the email that Jennifer sent me this week, wearing a dress, belt, and boots that she bought alone inspired by our time together.

And this. Look at that glow!

I'll share more of the incredible pictures that she sent me in a bit, but I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I? So there I am, at Jennifer's house. She's not going to abduct me, it seems. I meet her husband, and he's just as warm and loving in person as via email. And we head upstairs where I learn about Jennifer's unique clothing situation.

In Person Styling Session: Christina

In Person Styling Session: Christina

Today's client wrote me such a thorough review of our time together and was so kind and generous that I'm going to do something different and (mostly) turn it over to her! Here's Christina!

StartCloseIn: What were you hoping to get out of our time together?

I have always wanted to do a closet consultation and I couldn’t think of a better time to do it.  I am experiencing a new life season right now – turning 30, recently having been transplanted from the burbs to the city, losing weight due to training for a marathon, etc. etc. etc.  A lot of things are going really well for me right now, which has caused a surge in my self-confidence … I just needed my wardrobe to catch up! Plus, doing a styling session/closet consultation was on my 30before30 list so it simply had to happen!

Would You Wear Faux Leather?

Would You Wear Faux Leather?

I'm funny about certain things. Like faux leather. I have some pants that are mostly coated jeans but have a faux leather look to them, and I must have liked how they looked in the store, but until two weekends ago, I hadn't worn them outside the house. Wait, let me clarify that: this time around I hadn't worn them outside of the house. Last time that faux leather was in style a few years ago, I wore them a lot (think "liquid leggings"), which is probably why I was feeling like I was too old to wear them this time. Well, I bit the bullet! I put them on with a cozy, longish sweater on top and headed to the mall in the middle of a torrential downpour.

A funny thing happened-I meant to change out of my rain boots after bringing the dogs out and before getting in my car, but I arrived at the mall with the boots still on. Then I realized: they're just PANTS! Like any other pants! Somehow the strange pairing with my boots made me feel more comfortable about them. Here is me realizing that they're OK!

And, since they're just pants, like any others, I could do things that I do with pants, like roll them up at the ankle, pair them with cozy fisherman sweaters, and take gratuitous selfies in the Gap changing room!

My thought is this: maybe wear something this week that kind of scares you or has you feeling like you're not as _______ as you were before/would like to be/could be. Chances are, you're gonna love it.

And, of course, I'd love to see what comes out of this experiment!

What Inspires You?

What Inspires You?

Look around; deeply inhale the smells around you; shut your eyes and just listen to where you are. Find something beautiful around you- whether a taste, a scent, or a feeling. What if, instead of letting go of that feeling or scent you could savor that experience and reflect it on your body?

Tonight I re-visited this image of this space, and I didn't want to let it go.

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