Friday, February 27, 2015

TGIF...






Coat: J.Crew | Sweater: GAP, similar & similar | Skirt: old, similar | Pumps: J.Crew Factory | Bag: Longchamp |  Necklace: Forever 21 | Bracelet: kate spade | Lips: Liner - Revlon Bare, Lipstick - MAC Creme Cup 

photography c/o f8 creative


All I can say today is TGIF! Have a great weekend! 

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Downtown...







Coat: H&M | T-shirt: J.Crew | Jeans: Forever 21 | Heels: J.Crew Factory | Bag: Longchamp | Earrings: similar | Watch: Michael Kors | Bracelet: kate spade | Lipstick: MAC - Candy Yum Yum | Lipgloss: MAC - Pink Nouveau 

photography c/o f8 creative


Confession: I have never been a fan of the flannel-tied-around-your-waist look. Do you all know what I'm talking about?? I can't really put a finger on it, but it's just not for me. Then I wore the above look in a very hot bar on a Saturday night and I quickly realized why this might be on-trend...  I do love the playfulness of tying a cardigan, jacket, etc. around your waist! It definitely transformed this look into another that, in my opinion, is quite different! What really stands out though are the pops of bright color in my accessories and makeup. Super bright lip shades, like Candy Yum Yum, are a fun way to add some spice, but I try to keep them more for weekends or after work occasions! 

Have a great Wednesday! We're halfway there - woohoo!

Monday, February 23, 2015

Make Your Moment...







Sweater: Dillard's | Jeans: similar and similar | Boot Socks: Grace and Lace c/o Spotlight Style Boutique | Boots: Ecco | Bagsimilar | Earrings: old, similar | Necklace: BaubleBar (similar) | Bracelet: kate spade | Lipstick: MAC - Creme Cup (obsessed!)  

photography c/o f8 creative
So last night I was preparing this post during the E! Countdown to the Oscar Red Carpet show, and I couldn't help but write down a great quote from Kelly Osborne - it totally reminded me why so many of us love fashion and also why I love blogging about my personal style. Trying out new styles and trends is definitely fun, but for me, I use fashion as a platform to feel my very best! I love that a special piece of jewelry or a simple LBD can be my secret armor when I need a boost of confidence or just want to feel amazing! There is so much more to fashion than just the pretty pieces and the expensive labels (or inexpensive!). I leave you today with the quote I'm referring to from Kelly Osborne: 

"We don't look for people who are wearing the most on-trend pieces right now, we look for those moments where people are looking and feeling their best. That's what makes a true fashion moment." - Kelly Osborne 

Make your moment today! Thanks for reading!

Friday, February 20, 2015

Spring Wish-List & The Mint Julep Boutique Gift Card Winner!



Just a few things I'm hoping to add to my spring wardrobe! I know a lot of you are in a deep freeze today, but for some reason NW Iowa is enjoying 40 degrees!

GIVEAWAY!!
Thank you so much to everyone who entered the Mint Julep Boutique $25 gift card giveaway! Our winner is Martina Wilkinson!! CONGRATULATIONS! Please email me at styliniowan (@) gmail (.) com. 

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Day to Night...

Hey guys! So today I'm switching it up a little to show you a simple way to make your outfit work from day to night! I have a few easy tricks that I use on Fridays to help me get ready for both the work day and for a fun night out with friends! 
*****
Day: I chose this gorgeous fuchsia blazer from Nordstrom to be the key piece of both looks. I love how it's professional but the fuchsia color makes it fun and different. I kept everything else simple, like a basic white blouse, black ponte pants, an understated shimmer scarf and nude bow flats to polish off this work-appropriate look.




Blazer: Nordstrom | Top: similar & similar | Pants: Jolt | Scarf: old, similar | Flats: J.Crew Factory  

*****

Night: To make this outfit more appropriate for a night out with friends, I ditched the scarf to show off the deep-v neckline and added a long gold/black chain necklace for balance. The dark denim also pairs well with the fuchsia blazer, and I added leopard accents and pumps to create a more playful look. 



Denim: 7FAM | Pumps: J.Crew Factory | Necklace: old, similar | Bag: J.Crew, similar | Lipstick: MAC - Creme Cup

photography c/o f8 creative

We all have such busy schedules that it can be hard to keep up with the pressure of creating completely new outfits, but these easy tricks have honestly helped me get out the door on time and helped make creating the perfect Friday night outfit easier! 

Only two days left to enter the Mint Julep Boutique Gift Card Giveaway! Enter here!

Monday, February 16, 2015

Little Red Dress, Part 2







Dress (worn as top): The Mint Julep Boutique c/o | Skirt: ChicWish | Belt: J.Crew Factory | Pumps: J.Crew Factory | Earrings: Chloe + Isabel c/o | Bracelet: kate spade | Lipstick: MAC - Creme Cup

photography c/o f8 creative

So this outfit is unintentionally valentines-y... a few days late, but hey, why stop celebrating? I really wanted to show a couple different ways to wear this dress because it's so versatile, as are many of the pieces from the Mint Julep Boutique. This dress has beautiful lace detailing that can add a feminine touch to many different styles, whether it be worn with a skirt or alone! If you haven't seen the full dress, you can see how I styled it in my last post here.

There's still time to enter the $25 gift card giveaway towards The Mint Julep Boutique! Contest ends Thursday at midnight! :) 



Friday, February 13, 2015

Little Red Dress, Part 1 + A Giveaway!







Dress: The Mint Julep Boutique c/o | Pumps: J.Crew Factory | Earrings: Chloe + Isabel c/o | Belt: J.Crew Factory | Bracelet: kate spade | Lipstick: MAC - Creme Cup 

photography c/o f8 creative

Happy Friday! It's been a little crazy over on my end, and I'm so excited to be back on the blog today with a fun giveaway from The Mint Julep Boutique! I've always loved a little red dress (LRD!) - they make a subtle statement and it's just different than your traditional LBD. I am obsessing over the low back and lace detail on the top of this dress too. It's so versatile (stay tuned for part 2 - I'll style this dress another way on Monday!) and also extremely comfortable.  One thing I love about the Mint Julep Boutique is that they have sooooo many options to choose from. Whether you need a new shirt, jeans, dress or even accessories, this store will help you in a major shopping crisis. Plus, their pieces are not just adorable but also affordable, and they offer free shipping over $100! YES to all of that!!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!
I've been loving all of the giveaways lately on the blog, and I'm SO EXCITED to giveaway a $25 Mint Julep Boutique gift card to one lucky Stylin' Iowan reader! As always, I've made it soooooo easy to enter: simply follow me Instagram, Twitter, or Bloglovin'. Bonus entries are available for following the Mint Julep Boutique's social media sites too! Giveaway will run up until Friday, 2/20 and I'll announce the winner on my blog then. GOOD LUCK! 


Monday, February 2, 2015

Floral...





Coat: J.Crew | Sweater: similar & similar | Pants: Target (old), similar | Pumps: similar & similar | Bag: Longchamp | Sunnies: Target | Necklace: J.Crew Factory | Earrings: J.Crew Factory | Watch: Michael Kors | Bracelet: Mindy Mae's Market | Lipstick: MAC - Creme Cup 

photography c/o f8 creative 

Happy Monday! When it comes to office wear, I've been kind of in a slump lately... my office dress code is business casual, so I have a little more room to be creative, but for some reason I still wear a lot of black, which I'm sooooo over. Now that spring is hopefully on its way, I'm ready to step-up my office dress with more floral prints and bright hues! Whether your choice of print be floral, geometric, animal, etc., the larger the print, the better! My floral pants from Target have multiple colors in them, however there's still a lot of navy blue behind the print to balance everything out. Add a neutral top and a pop of color with your bag or outerwear, and you have a stylish but professional look!  

Are you following along on Instagram? Thanks for reading! Have a great day!