pinspiration: new year's eve

I recently saw a post where someone described 2017 as "personally, great; internationally; a mess," and I couldn't agree more. While our New Year's Eves tend to skew toward the cozy (our friends plan a night of Minute to Win It games and appetizers), if this year's fashion offerings are any indication we're all dreaming of a little Studio 54 throwback style. Even a cozy night at home needs a little sparkle and glitter, in my opinion. Let's do this, 2018. We're ready.

this week's clicks.

get your week off to a colorful start...

SWOON.

Melissa Oholendt

• A classic wedding with fun details from Melissa O.
• Bridesmaids in black make a ranch wedding chic. 
• Tips for creating a serene home from The Everygirl.
• An eclectic San Francisco apartment tour via SMP.

SMILE.

• A timely reminder: how to handle stress like a boss.
• Really considering getting blunt-cut bangs this spring.
• My go-to Spotify playlist - constantly adding soul tracks.
• Do you eat fish on Fridays during Lent? Recipe ideas!

FLASHBACK.

• 2016: reflections on my first-ever reader survey, fave Oscar looks, and the "gateway fandoms" that made me the geek girl I am today.
• 2015: custard yellow picks for spring, Christa Parrish's Still Life, spring IG faves.
• 2014: a blast from my high school past and my March favorites.
• 2013:a Sunday Social about the 5's and emerald wardrobe inspiration.
• 2012: #FebPhotoADay, chocolate marshmallow cupcakes and soft gray + blue decor.
• 2011: wedding planning thrift store adventures and our bridesmaids' dresses.

Style: On Pointe Athleisure

One thing about me that I'm not sure I've ever actually talked about on this blog is that I was a dancer throughout my childhood. By high school, I had multiple classes at my local dance studio every night, and when I wasn't in class I was also one of the office assistants there and taught several classes. Dance was my first hobby and my first job, and I love things that remind me of the ladylike and magical culture of ballet. Blush pink was one of the most popular colors in virtually every aspect of design in 2016, and this past fall, I started to notice that swans had become the latest "critter" to gain popularity in home decor and fashion. Now, Target had unveiled a whole ballet-inspired collection from Mossimo. Here's a winter and spring gym-to-street wardrobe for the inner Sugar Plum Fairy in each of us.

1. Athleta crossback sweatshirt  2. Target ruched leggings  3. J. Crew Factory collector tee  4. Essie Gel Couture nail polish in "Lace Me Up"  5. Target wrap bodysuit 6. Target tulle midi skirt 7. Kate Spade swan stud earrings (set is actually 1 black and 1 white swan) 8. MAC Lipglass in "Signs of Spring"  9. Kate Spade Ridge Street Lance yoga bag

(Ballerina inspiration photo by Taylor and Porter via Wedding Sparrow)

What do you think of the ballet-inspired athleisure trend?

pinspiration: millennial pink new year's eve

Well, darlings, we're wrapping up another year here at Beyond the Aisle, and my thoughts this week are on 2017, and, of course, New Year's Eve. While the experts at Pantone have named Greenery the new Color of the Year, I'm honestly not over 2016's Rose Quartz and it's many permutations - fall's Dusty Cedar with its decadent 70's vibe, and of course the ubiquitous shade journalists have dubbed "millennial pink." My ideal New Year's Eve party would be laid-back with a bohemian vibe, plenty of champagne, a plethora of pink, the potential for a Nerf gun war, and, okay, some actual greenery thrown in as a nod to the New Year to come and all of its possibilities.

What are your plans for New Year's Eve?

this week's clicks.

get your week off to a colorful start...
LISTEN.

• Late Show with Stephen Colbert bandleader Jon Batiste has a new holiday album out this year - love this track with Aloe Blacc.

SWOON.

Carla Choy Photography via Style Me Pretty

• Can I pretty please be invited to this glam dinner party?
• Drooling over Camille Styles' chocolate + cheese board.
• A fun and lovely paper wedding send-off garland.
• Chic NYE inspiration from photographer Izzy Hudgins.

SMILE.

• Desktops: Giants + Pilgrims, Sea of Atlas, Smashing.
• These cute, affordable earrings are perfect for the holidays.
• A DIY CHRISTMAS TREE CAKE from Alana Jones-Mann.
• Have you seen Pinterest's 100 trend predictions for 2017?

FLASHBACK.

• 2015: my treat yourself wish list, decoupaged world map ornaments, and a mini home tour featuring a glam woodland tree.
• 2014: my holiday home tour.
• 2013: my favorite account of Christmas, wrote to Santa, showed off my chalkboard ornaments and shared a holiday home tour.
• 2012: a Sunday Social all about favorites, gave a holiday home tour and ideas for displaying cards, and rounded up my blog loves and my own most popular posts of 2012.  I also shared my December in Instagram.
• 2011: my favorite things in our home. 

clicks of note: burning everything but the ice cream cones...

get your week off to a colorful start...
LISTEN.

• Soundcloud's "Discover Weekly" playlist is one of my favorite things in the world - digging this track that popped up this week and it right up my musical alley.

SWOON.

Erin McGinn Boutique Photography

• A beautiful Rhode Island wedding from Erin McGinn.
• A special education teacher had the sweetest bridal party.
• From Inspired By This, a cute farmer's market e-session.
• I'm in love with this charming neutral nursery from SMP.

SMILE.

• Pinning my fall reading list... any suggestions to add?
• Pretty sure I need to make Sanderson Sisters peg dolls.
• Adding this Edgar Allan Poe bracelet to my wishlist.
• This Zara choker necklace is perfect for Halloween.

FLASHBACK.

• 2015: Favorite things about Halloween and costume ideas.
• 2014: Even more costume ideas... 'tis the season!
• 2013: fall outfit inspiration in olive and pumpkin.
• 2012: purple wardrobe pieces for fall.
• 2011: inspiration based on our kitchen's cedar + teal color scheme.

Oscars 2016: Favorite Trends

This year's Oscar red carpet was a true reflection of current fashion trends, with several of Pantone's colors of the year for 2016 seen on leading ladies - and gentlemen. After SO MUCH TAUPE last year, it was refreshing to see lovely jewel tones dominating the fashion coverage. Here are some of the major color trends that went from the runway to the red carpet. For image sources, check out my Pinterest board (and pin from there rather than from this post, please!)

Best Dressed

Soft colors will always win me over (like Anna Kendrick's simple coral halter dress from last year), and this year I was infatuated with Cate Blanchett's gown in a color Pantone calls Limpet Shell. The appliques make it similar to the dress she wore to the 2014 awards, which makes sense - both are Armani Prive and make her look like a princess. The shape is so flattering on her and the color is gorgeous on her.

Blue Violet

My favorite colors made a big impact on the red carpet this year - Best Actress winner Brie Larsen wore a ruffled dress with a camisole neckline, and Mindy Kaling's black sheath dress featured a blue violet train that was really unique and lovely.

Naomi Watts and Tina Fey both rocked purple on the red carpet. I think this is the most elegant I've ever seen Tina looked and I liked how both leading ladies paired their strapless dresses with statement necklaces.

Trendy Taupe

This shade of cerulean has been dubbed Snorkel Blue and was spotted on both ladies and gentlemen at this year's Oscars. Both Sofia Vergara and Patricia Arquette chose flattering shapes in this color that looks beautiful on every complexion.

I have gone on record in totally loving dudes in blue tuxes (see Jason Sudeikis in 2014 and Eddie Redmayne last year). Among the handsome gentlemen wearing Snorkel Blue with black were Aaron Rodgers (escorting girlfriend Olivia Munn) and Best Actor nominee Mark Ruffalo. Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl and Michael Strahan also wore this color on the red carpet.

Classic Black

A black gown is always appropriate for Oscar night, and Jennifer Garner's was one of my absolute favorite looks of the night - so elegant. I also liked Julianne Moore's gown with geometric accents.

White Florals

Isla Fischer and Priyanka Chopra would both look great wearing paper bags, but look so lovely in white dresses with floral motifs. Isla's dress features romantic chiffon, while Priyanka's was figure-hugging, sheer, and J. Lo-worthy.

Marsala Shades

Variations of 2015's Pantone Color of the Year are still very popular at Hollywood events. I loved television host Zuri Hall's form-fitting gown and unique necklace, and Chrissy Teigen continues to be the most fabulous pregnant person probably ever.

Copper and champagne were the trendy metallic shades at last year's Oscars, but this year the pendulum swung back to classic silver and gold. Margot Robie clearly loves 70's-inspired dresses with plunging necklines and tassel details - her look this year hit many of the same notes as the black dress she wore last year. Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Daisy Ridley wore a silver tea-length sheath that was elegant and youthful.

What were your favorite looks at this year's Oscars?

sunday simplicity.

The De Jaureguis via Style Me Pretty

“I was made and meant to look for you and 

wait for you and become yours forever.” 

― Robert Browning

style: favorite 2016 GRAMMY's looks.

The 2016 award season continued last night with one of the classiest GRAMMY Awards ceremonies in recent memory - Kendrick Lamar's cerebral performance will be analyzed for the next week,  Lady Gaga's tribute to the late David Bowie was spot on, and the live performance by the cast of Hamilton was a treat. Celebrities in attendance even seemed pretty pumped about getting glitter-bombed by Taylor Swift. Fashion-wise, where the GRAMMY Awards are an opportunity to have fun with red carpet fashion that sometimes leads to celebrities going a little crazy, the attendees, presenters, and performers seemed to have an understanding that the two themes for the night's dress code were "streamlined" and "sparkling." Image sources can be found here on my Pinterest.

In my opinion, the two classiest looks of the night were expectant mother Chrissy Tiegen's white gown, glittering cape, and miniaudiere purse, and Anna Kendrick's black gown with sheer panels - elegant, simple, and perfect for a presenter.

My favorite looks of the night were elegant gowns with personality - both of these are works of art. Kacey Musgraves' ombre Armani Prive ballgown suits her colorful personality and I like that she kept the rest of her look simple. I wasn't sure who Lianne La Havas was (she's a British folk singer), but her  chartreuse gown (with pockets!) looked worthy of the Met Gala paired with her slightly bohemian updo.

Demi Lovato clearly had a formula for her red carpet and performance looks: suit jacket + no shirt + statement jewelry. Paired with a black manicure, she looked fierce onstage and off, like a sexy Bond villain.

While I do not like to body-shame other women for any reason, my concern that Taylor Swift might need a little more fat in her diet kept me from being able to totally get on board with her '90s throwback tube top and open skirt, but I loved her Anna Wintour bob, tangerine lipstick, and multicolored choker necklace. 

As far as my favorite performance outfits of the night, aside from Demi's suit, I loved Adele's intricately detailed deep red gown and matching manicure, and adored Brittany Howard's ivory dress, cape, and statement earrings. She's a rock goddess and the fabulous look was a nice departure from her usual retro florals.

What were your favorite moments and looks 

from this year's GRAMMY Awards?

style: favorite 2016 golden globes looks

As longtime readers know, I love movies and celebrities, and therefore I love award season! Though my taste in fashion tends toward the classic and usually shies away from anything angular or too revealing, I found myself really loving some styles that were very different from the gowns I've loved in the past I watched this year's Golden Globes. When I started pinning my favorites, I realized there were a few common threads (pun intended) in the dresses that were my favorites. [Image Sources]

Plunging necklines were a big trend at this year's Globes, and in my opinion Jaimie Alexander had the most stunning look of the night. Her emerald geometric-print dress was striking without being too distracting, she wore her gown confidently, and her hair and makeup were perfect. Where's our Lady Sif movie, Marvel? Another starlet who looked perfect while taking the plunge was Jenna Dewan Tatum in a navy blue sequined gown that looked even better on television than it does in photos and much better than last year's butter-colored strapless gown. BOTH gowns had pockets, a detail I really appreciate as a real human being who carries things to parties.

Two ladies looking elegant in black with sleek center-parted hairstyles: Fargo's Kirsten Dunst's velvet dress with plunging neckline looked great on video, while Caitriona Balfe's lacy gown might be a nod to some of the costumes her character Claire will wear on Outlander this season when she and Jamie travel to France during Louis XV's reign. 

I'm always a fan of a beautifully-made ballgown: Gina Rodriguez wore navy, one of the most popular colors of the night (with pockets!), while Tara Lynne Barr wore a classic red gown with an asymmetrical neckline and hem that made it look fun and youthful.

This year's Golden Globe goddesses were Soairse Ronan and Lily James - Lily's co-presented Jaime Foxx seemed to get a little tongue-tied when he took the stage with her!

Jennifer Lawrence, who won Best Comedy Performance for Joy, probably had the most unique dress of the night, though both the color and style are certainly in her red carpet wheelhouse. She looks great in modern styles and I like that she kept the rest of her look simple and sophisticated. I was blown away by how great Lady Gaga, who won Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series for American Horror Story: Hotel, looked - it seems that she's put the meat dresses and other outlandish gimmicks away for good, and her hair, makeup, black velvet dress, and jewelry were all perfectly Old Hollywood.

Also channeling Old Hollywood vibes in their elegant emerald gowns, Jada Pinkett Smith and Rebecca Bloom. Rebecca won Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy, for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which has become one of my favorite shows over the past year.

I'm always happy to see starlets take chances with beautiful prints on the red carpet, and both Rachel McAdams and Melissa Benoist managed to make florals look sophisticated.

What was your favorite red carpet look at this year's Golden Globes? Also, should we all buy stock in Hollywood Fashion Tape?

If you'd like to add any of these images to your Pinterest boards or blog, please visit my Pinterest board and pin/save from the original source. Thanks!

Style: Date Night with Weddington Way

Remember the closet from 27 Dresses, overflowing with bridesmaids' dresses featuring everything from puffy sleeves to hoop skirts? We've all been there: our girlfriend was so excited that she'd found a dress we'd totally wear again... and it's been in the back of the closet since the day she said "I do." Or worse, maybe we were that girlfriend (I certainly haven't seen any of my girls out on the town dressed like purple goddesses lately). 

A few things set Weddington Way them apart from other boutiques: their dresses are super stylish, they offer dress rentals, and they focus on a collaborative experience so bridesmaids can select dresses they want to wear again! To prove it, here's how I'd restyle one of their versatile bridesmaids' dresses for a summer date night.

For my re-style, I chose the Rita little black special occasion dress. The halter neckline, straight style, and short length keeps it from looking too "bridesmaidy," and best of all, it has pockets. For a perfect summer date night look, an LBD calls for a pop of color, a little bit of print, and fun jewelry - no tulle, butt bows, shoulder pads, or Scarlett O'Hara hats in sight! Check out all of Weddington Way's bridesmaid dresses here. You'll be a lot more successful than I was when I tried to re-wear a bridesmaid's dress on a date...

Don't be like this me.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Have you ever re-worn a bridesmaids' dress?