steeper or cheaper: striped blazers

I'm back with another duo of similarly-styled fashion pieces at different price points.  I don't consider myself a fashion blogger - just a girl who likes to shop- but I can't resist sharing style inspiration, or a great deal.  This time, it's a striped blazer - similar to  the LOFT crinkle jacket featured in today's roundup.  Karen Kane offers a shawl collar style, while an Xhilaration style available at Target features a notched collar.

Karen Kane

Xhilaration at Target

Keep reading to see a roundup of inspiration for styling a striped blazer!

fall color: black and blue

This week's color combo is a classic for fall, inspired by this season's runway shows...

1. Ann Taylor striped ponte dress  2. Kirna Zabete for Target leopard print trench 

3. Dorothy Perkins viscose biker-style jacket  4. LOFT striped crinkle blazer 

5. Butter London nail lacquer in Royal Navy 6. Ann Taylor striped colorblock skirt

Stay safe and dry today, friends!  So far we still have electricity but schools

in our area are closed today because of high winds from Hurricane Sandy.

I am thankful that I don't have to drive today in dangerous conditions.

clicks of note: add a little warmth.

get your week off to a colorful start...

Sorry I was AWOL last week; I had a rough sinus infection and could not focus on anything - I even took a sick day home from work, which is very rare for me.  While I sip cough syrup and mourn the loss of my perfect attendance certificate for the 2012-2013 term, here are a few links I'm loving right now.

SWOON.

Sincerely Kinsey

• This rustic outdoor engagement shoot from Sincerely Kinsey epitomizes fall style.
• Grey Likes Weddings features a romantic and elegant Chicago elopement inspiration shoot.
• This hot air balloon wedding inspiration shoot at Uschi and Kay is lovely.
• On to Baby features a hot air balloon family shoot - love these colorful ideas!
• Love Wedding Thingz's feature on interactive food stations - it's probably a good thing I'd never heard of a pasta station when I got married.

SMILE.

• Amy Adams is adorable in these lookbook photos.
• Miss Mustard Seed shares the background behind her new book.

THINK.

• Helen Jane on creativity and fear.
• I must confess, I sometimes think about my "real life" as happening in "the next house."

sunday simplicity #92: imagination

Green Wedding Shoes

"Imagination is the true magic carpet." 

- Norman Vincent Peale

Green Wedding Shoes

fall color: rhapsody

Time for my favorite Pantone color for Fall 2012...

1. American Eagle striped sweater  2. Mossimo cardigan at Target 

3. Old Navy foldover canvas tote  4. Old Navy gauze scarf

5. Modcloth polka dot tights  6. J. Crew ballet flats  

7. J. Crew fuschia patent leather belt  8. Essie nail polish in Skirting the Issue

A little bit fun, a little bit preppy... grape and fuschia can play nicely together.

What are your favorite ways to wear purple for fall?

clicks of note: autumn sunshine

get your week off to a colorful start...

LISTEN.

• We're loving the new Mumford and Sons album, Babel.  My current favorite song is "Lover of the Light"

SWOON.

Katelyn James Photography

• I think you'll adore this rustic nautical wedding in Maryland with creative details and a DIY bouquet photographed by Katelyn James.
• You've got to check out this barn wedding at 100 Layer Cake with plenty of cowgirl boots, vintage appeal, and a sky-blue wedding gown.
• Purple Wedding of the Week: an intimate California vineyard wedding with an adorable DIY ceremony backdrop at Green Wedding Shoes.
• Snippet and Ink features a backyard South Carolina wedding that is classic, sweet and a little retro.
• Over at Style Me Pretty: a peach and gray Texas inn wedding with chevron table runners and adorable details.

SMILE.

• Cake plate clings are such a good idea- I am a big fan of my white and clear glass cake stands because they are so versatile, but these would give them a little somethin' somethin' for special occasions.  File under "Why didn't I think of that?"  The monogram is my favorite.

MAKE.

• I'm being very slow to get Halloween decorations up this year; I'd like to paint some pumpkins this week - I love this monogrammed one and the candy corn and zigzag versions here.

sunday simplicity #91: sparkly and sweet

Clayton Austin

Green Wedding Shoes

The Schultzes Photography

Hello Love

a musical alphabet.

26... okay, a few more than 26... of my absolute favorite music makers and dreamers of dreams...

a is for avett brothers
b is for the beatles
c is for johnny cash
d is for dave matthews band
e is for eric clapton
f is for florence and the machine
g is for dave grohl
h is for tom petty and the heartbreakers
i is for ingrid micaelson
j is for billy joel
k is for lenny kravitz
l is for miranda lambert
m is for mayer, mraz, and mumford
n is for norah jones
o is for old crow medicine show
p is for grace potter
q is for queen
r is for rufus wainwright
s is for sugarland
t is for tedeschi trucks band
u is for keith urban
v is for eddie vedder
w is for jack white
x is for ?
y is for yeah yeah yeahs
z is for zac brown band

Who would be a part of your musical alphabet?

what to wear to high point fall market

High Point Market has been compared to Fashion Week, but for home decor.  And believe me, people who work in the home decor industry usually have distinct personal styles of their own.  Among Mr. Q's clients are a woman from Florida who always rocks a hat and brightly colored blazer and a gentlemen, also from the sunshine state, who always wears a crazy tie - that's his trademark.  This year his tie had horses on it.  If horses become A Thing this year, we'll thank Tom.  The sales reps (Mr. Q's clients) at Market are dressed for business - in suits.  There's another category of people at High Point that I aspire to emulate in my style choices - the designers and interior decorators.  Usually they skew a bit younger than the sales reps and look flat-out classy due to a few well-chosen items.  I've found some images from around the web to illustrate some of the fashion trends I observed among the women of High Point Market!

FabYouBliss

The outfit on the right would fit right in at Market - the "uniform" for young women this year was a long belted shawl-collar cardigan or sweater dress in a fall color, skinny black or brown pants, and riding boots.  I saw a lot of women pair black pants with brown boots just like the model in the picture.  Very few women wear jeans at High Point - it's simply not that casual.

High Point Market October 2012

Our visit to High Point Market last weekend was a lot of fun - it's always nice to see Mr. Q's clients and fun to hang out with his work friends and see them doing their furniture industry thing!  Here are a few pictures I snapped- with permission, of course! - in their showroom and around the IHFC building.

This is a living room set-up from Mr. Q's company showroom - his company just released a line of rugs and the one in this shot shows how modern and on trend they are.  Many have geometric and Moroccan-inspired patterns, there is one featuring yellow and gray ikat, and one even looks like my blog background!  The more unique rugs include one made from "rescued" denim and another with woven leather.  The coffee table pictured is HUGE and well-loved by most of the staff.  I liked how this setup combined modern and traditional pieces for a really comfortable overall feel.

clicks of note: love you inside out

get your week off to a colorful start...

Modern Girls and Old Fashioned Men

LISTEN.

• Something about Imelda May's "Inside Out" says "put me on your funky Halloween playlist!"

SWOON.

• Cheerful city e-pics from Elizabeth Messina.
• Purple wedding of the week: a lakeside country club wedding with chic black bridesmaids' dresses from Heart Love Weddings.
• An adorably Southern engagement shoot via Hello Love.
• I love the first look photos in this gorgeous Virginia wedding photographed by Katelyn James.
• A colorful Nashville celebration with mason jar centerpieces and an inspiring cake from Rustic Wedding Chic.

SMILE.

• Fun: fall in a box from You Are My Fave
• Travel vicarously:  Rooftops of Paris, via This is Glamorous.
• What items in your house make you feel like a grown-up?
• I think Alexandra's post on knowing her readers is a must-see for bloggers.

MAKE.

• This teacup planter escort card favor DIY from Ruffled would be perfect for a vintage inspired wedding, or espresso cups could be used for a more modern look.
• The DIY big fringe streamers from Oh Happy Day would look great behind a dessert table.

sunday simplicity #90: give all to love

Emily Horton Photography via The Lovely Find

"Give all to love;

Obey thy heart;

Friends, kindred, days,

Estate, good-fame,

Plans, credit, and the Muse, --

Nothing refuse."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

off to High Point Market...

This weekend Mr. Q and I are headed to High Point, North Carolina for Market.  Traci Zeller describes Market on her blog as "fashion week for interior designers" and High Point Market itself is really pushing that idea this year with its theme, "Fashion Focus."  Therefore, I have been fretting all morning about what to wear!

The IHFC building during Market is a fabulous place; for me (not an interior designer, just a regular Southern girl raised on Mama's Better Homes and Gardens) it was like walking through the pages of a magazine.  You may remember from past posts that Mr. Q works in customer service for a home accent company.  I have a guest pass this year, and I'm not sure where that will get me!  I will take lots of pictures, though, even if they are through windows like this one from last fall:

Last year at Market I loved these chandeliers by Deanna Wish Designs

Market is an opportunity for Mr. Q to connect with his clients in person, so I basically fulfill the role of the housewife in any of those movies set in the 50's where the boss is coming for dinner.  But I love High Point Market because it's a chance for my blogger self to check out new trends in home decor... I am also excited about the possibility of running into bloggers from sites like Apartment Therapy and Coco & Kelley.  Note:  this probably will not happen.  Mainly, I will spend the day hearing people gush about how much they love my husband and how great he is at his job.  And I will love every minute of that.

sweet trend watch: wedding cake pop cakes!

Southern Weddings

When I saw this picture on the Southern Weddings blog, I was intrigued - are those brightly colored cake pops?  On a layered wedding cake?  WITH an adorable little cake topper?

Yes, they totally are.

Ashleigh Jayne Photography via Party Favorites

While a cake ball wedding cake could easily veer into cheesy or even tacky territory, this ombre cake call cake is totally elegant!

Note:  If you'd like to add any of the images from this post to your Pinterest boards, please click on the link below the image and pin from the source so that the creators get credit for their work.  Thank you!

fall entertainment in the country townhouse...

It should come as no surprise that we love television in the country townhouse:  I was an English major, so I can't resist a good story, and Mr. Q was a communications major who knows a good camera angle when he sees one.  Put that together with our shared love of decorating/staging and you'd think we'd have very distinguished tastes.  While we do love a good Masterpiece Theater installment, we're guilty of a few tacky pleasures as well.  Here's what we're watching this fall season:

Monday:
- How I Met Your Mother
- 2 Broke Girls
- Castle
- Revolution (DVR)

VH1

Tuesday:
- NCIS
- New Girl
- The Mindy Project
- Parenthood (DVR)

Wednesday:
- The Middle
- Modern Family
- Suburgatory
- Planning to watch Nashville

HitFix

Thursday:
- Glee (DVR)
- Up All Night
- 30 Rock
- The Office
- Parks and Rec

inspirations for a colorful fall wedding with navy bridesmaids

Navy bridesmaids dresses provide such a fabulous background for colorful bouquets in shades of red, orange, and yellow.  I love this color combination.

Weddingbee user KatNYC2011

Note:  If you want to add any of the images from this post to your Pinterest boards, please click on the link below the image and pin from the source so the creator gets full credit.  THANKS!

I love dahlias.  One of my favorite parts of living in Charlottesville was picking up a fresh bunch from the farmer's market on fall Saturday mornings - along with an apple cider doughnut and a cup of Shenandoah Joe.

One Wed

Calligraphy on kraft paper is a dreamy combination of rustic and elegant.

color combo: navy and orange

University of Virginia, Auburn, and University of Florida students and alumni have something in common:  we not only can handle, but LOVE to see our school colors, blue and orange, together.  UVa's take on these colors usually comes in the form of bright orange and navy blue.  With Homecomings (it's plural at Mr. Jefferson's University- we're old school that way) this weekend, I thought I'd share some of the items I'd love to add to my game day wardrobe.  I'm surprised by how popular this contrasting color combination is in fashion right now!

1. Gap striped tee, $31.99 and orange pants, $54.95 2.  Fornash XO bangle, $25

3. Modcloth striped dress, $57.99  4. Lacoste pique polo dress, $145  

5. Gap polka dot socks, $3.99  6. Jack Rogers leather sandals, $105

Chevron earrings from decor8yourself on Etsy

clicks of note: addicted to love

get your week off to a colorful start...

LISTEN.

• I love a good cover, and Florence and the Machine's cover of Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" turns an 80's pop phenomenon into something haunting enough for a Halloween playlist.  I mean, how creepy is the line, "the lights are on but you're not home, your mind is not your own"?

SWOON.

Wedding Chicks

• Charlottesville weddings are always gorgeous - this vineyard wedding featured at Wedding Chicks is no exception!
• The cutest flower girl and a confetti cake in a vintage chic Santa Barbara wedding featured at 100 Layer Cake
• Elizabeth Anne Designs features a cute engagement session with bicycles - I want all of the bride's perfect casual outfits.
• Purple wedding of the week: a modern New England hotel wedding at Heart Love Weddings.
• Isn't the (also very purple) wine tasting bridal shower featured at Style Me Pretty a fabulous idea?  

LEARN.

• The Everygirl's Guide to the 2012 Election - non-partisan 411 on swing states and debates.

BLOG NEWS.

• Thanks to Wedding Thingz for naming Beyond the Aisle as one of their favorite wedding blogs!
• I was recently contacted by Shabby Apple about becoming an affiliate.  Since their Ahoy dress was one of the happiest things in my wardrobe this summer, I said yes.  I only affiliate with companies I really trust and believe in and I know that Shabby Apple's dresses are flattering and well made.

sunday simplicity #89: love unfolding

Sloan Photographers via Once Wed

Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one's life with pomp 
and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one's side 
like an old friend through quiet ways; ... perhaps love unfolded 
naturally out of a beautiful friendship, ..."

- L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea

recap: #septemberstories

I really enjoyed participating in the #septemberstories Instagram challenge hosted by librarians Val (sunlightstringer) and Wikk (wkr1990).  I was able to share some of my personal favorites and add to my already-long to-be-read list!  Since I teach middle school, most of my choices are YA, but I threw in some classics, children's books, and adult lit as well.

sunlightstringer

Here are my choices from the end of the month:

Romantic:  Emma by Jane Austen  || Fantasy:  Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

fall color: navy blue and honey gold home decor

Earlier this week I shared some of my favorite honey gold inspired wardrobe additions for fall; today, here's this fall's warm yellow paired with navy blue in some unique living rooms.

Houzz.com via Pinterest

The black and white chevron rug in this modern country living room complements the prints on the wall while providing interesting contrast with the yellow print curtains.  I think a glass coffee table was a great choice because it lets the chevron pattern show have more impact.

wedding hairstyle trends: ponytails

I like seeing brides look past traditional updos and rocking hairstyles that reflect their personalities.  Some girls are ponytail girls, and a ponytail can be curled, looped, pushed to the side, or twisted to add a touch of fun to a bride's overall look while still looking dressy.  A sophisticated ponytail can also be a great choice for bridesmaids, or for a wedding guest.

Katelyn James Photography

The perfect bridal ponytail: a curled side pony with sideswept bangs and a fun accessory.

Runway takes on formal ponytails from I Know Hair and Erin Fetherston's Spring 2012 Fashion Week show (via Trends of Wedding Dress).

steeper or cheaper: leopard print belts

I'm back with another pair of items with similar style at different price points.  I'm not a fashion blogger - I'm just a girl who likes to shop- and since I'm a busy working wife much of that shopping happens online. I had to share these two takes on leopard-print calf hair belts, similar to the $34.50 LOFT version in this morning's round-up (LOFT also offers a version with a silver metallic buckle if tortoiseshell is not your thing).

J. Crew Calf Hair Skinny Belt | Merona multicolor Calf Hair Belt at Target

Will you try the animal print trend this fall?

fall color: honey gold and camel

1. House of Harlow sunglasses from The Outnet  

2. The Limited colorblocked tee    

3. LOFT tortoiseshell buckle calf hair belt  

4. Honey cardigan by Mossimo at Target  

5. Elbow patch cardigan from GAP 6. Giani Bernini handbag at Macy's

7. J. Crew leather belt in English saddle  8. LOFT honey bow heels  

9.  Madewell Archive Boots in English saddle

Are you ready for fall color?  Honey gold and camel are cozy, warm, and reminiscent of changing leaves.  My pick: the Target sweater!  A great layering piece for fall.  One of my colleagues has a handbag similar to the Giani Bernini above and it is such a great pop of color.

How to style honey gold:

Honey gold is a fairly bold color, especially for pants!  Cassandra of Coco & Kelley put together a really chic menswear inspired outfit with a gray vest, 7 for All Mankind jeans, and leopard print flats.  I think she was also smart to introduce the honey gold via pants because certain shades of yellow can be unflattering on brunettes - I try to keep it away from my face.

clicks of note: love is all you need.

get your week off to a colorful start...

LISTEN.

• I don't usually feature commercials here (though I do often feature music I've discovered through commercial), but I kind of want to live in this LOFT commercial and the Grace Potter cover of "All You Need Is Love" is the icing on the cake.  Expect more Grace Potter here this month - Mr. Q and I are going to see her live in a few weeks!

SWOON.

Ruffled

• Ruffled features a rustically elegant blush fall inspiration shoot - even the paper goods are gorgeous.
• A Where the Wild Things Are inspired shoot from A Most Curious Wedding Fair via Bridal Musings.  That cake banner!
• Purple wedding of the week:  this elegant museum wedding featured on Elizabeth Anne Designs.
• Elegant fall leaf escort cards from Once Wed.
• Style Me Pretty's book cover shoot by Jose Villa is epic: the dream country estate wedding.

SMILE.

• CONGRATULATIONS to Aubrey and James!
• ABC Family's 13 Days of Halloween schedule.  Hocus Pocus airs twice.
• Adorable mini root beer floats featured on Style Me Pretty.
• I think "I want to go to England" is becoming my theme for the year.

MAKE.

• Loving these table number candleholders from Brooklyn Bride for a modern wedding... or for a holiday countdown.