Showing posts with label colors: brown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label colors: brown. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 11

Style: My December Stitch Fix (#9)


Is it just me, or did the holidays go by really fast this year? I decided to give myself a little treat this holiday season and order a winter Stitch Fix box. My stylist, Heather, picked cozy items based on the sweaters and tops I had added to my Pinterest board. If you're looking for some comfy, warm items to pin for your stylist, read on!


This is not a sponsored post. I signed up for Stitch Fix and purchase each of my Fixes myself. My opinions on this blog are always 100% honest. This post does contain affiliate links - for each new sign-up I will receive a commission towards my next Stitch Fix.


As usual, I was psyched when I saw the colors and textures in my box - stylist Heather does a great job of basically creating little capsule wardrobes for me each season. This box included a pullover sweater with elbow patches, a cozy funnel-neck sweatshirt, a plaid button-down, a crossover top, and and a warm blanket scarf.



The first item I tried on was the Skies are Blue Forest Two Pocket Top, which I paired with the Kut From The Kloth Dayna Skinny Jeans from my November Fix and my Franco Sarto booties. I'm pretty sure my stylist Heather has some crazy plan to get me into a maroon and navy plaid, because this top reminded me a lot of the plaid sweatshirt I returned last month. I don't wear shirts that button all the way down because they gap at the bust on me, so this top didn't have much of a chance. Plaid collared shirts aren't really my style anymore. Status: Returned.



I was so excited to unbox the Loveappella Evie Draw String Funnel Neck Sweatshirt - I've seen this top in other bloggers' Fixes and thought it looked so comfortable. Not only did stylist Heather send me one of the coziest pieces StitchFix has to offer, she sent it in my absolute favorite color - royal purple! I love the marled texture of the top - it's more like a thick knit sweater than a typical jersey sweatshirt. Status: Kept! I wore this on numerous holiday outings!


Okay, let's talk about the RetroD Morrison Elbow Patch Pullover. The marled brown knit and elbow patches are beautiful, and scoop neck is really flattering. Unfortunately, there's a contrast-knit triangle under each arm that creates a really frumpy look on my already petite frame. Mr. Q did not like the way this looked on me at all, and looking at the pictures, I wasn't a fan either. Status: Returned. Goodbye, my beautiful elbow patches.



Up next was the Market & Spruce Henri Ruche Sides Knit Top. I'd pinned a lot of tops and sweaters with crossover details, but this piece was not flattering on my body at all - the  v-neck was nice, but the thin fabric and ruching clung to my tummy in a really unattractive way. Status: Returned. I also received the Accessory Collective Calla Striped Oblong Scarf. I love the idea of blanket scarves, but I very rarely wear the one I already have. Status: Returned - for kind of a strange reason. I'm a science nerd, and the pattern on this scarf reminds me of a Scarlet King Snake's markings. I couldn't unsee it once the idea popped into my head. 



Check out this cute Christmas card I received from the Stitch Fix Influencer team! They've been great to work with this past year and I look forward to learning more about fashion and continuing to refine my personal style in 2017.

Stitch Fix is doing something really cool this January and February - they're partnering with Goodwill® to deliver a simple way to make a difference via the Give Back Box®. Here's how it works - just package up clothing or household goods you wish to donate in your Stitch Fix box (or any box!) and print a free shipping label. Then, drop it at any post office or UPS drop-off location, or simply leave it at your doorstep for USPS pickup. If you're anything like me and your pile of items to donate tends to sit in a corner forgotten, you know this is an awesome idea. Give Back Box® will email you a receipt for tax deduction purposes after your donation is received.

Have you tried Stitch Fix yet? It's one of my favorite ways to treat myself while still staying within a budget! My stylist, Heather, has really helped me to helped me define my personal style (I call it "preppy bohemian") and invest quality pieces I will actually wear (no more items hanging in the closet with tags still attached!) When you sign up for Stitch Fix, you pay a $20 personal styling fee and fill out a profile with your detailed size, style, and price preferences. Your stylist will choose five items just for you, and the $20 styling fee is applied toward the cost of any items you decide to keep from your shipment (This is my ninth Fix, and I've always fallen in love with at least one item per box!). If you haven't let Stitch Fix style you, what are you waiting for?

Thursday, December 24

Christmas Eve Mini Holiday Home Tour!


As I've mentioned in my posts about our Christmas wreath and DIY ornaments, I let the dream of "peace on Earth" guide my holiday decorating this year. I especially loved how our Christmas tree turned out. When we got out our old tree, which was a hand-me-down from Mr. Q's grandparents, the lights on the top two sections wouldn't function, so it was off to the city on the day after Thanksgiving in search of a new tree.


I've always been really impressed by the awesome things KMart comes up with at Christmas time, so we headed there first and picked out a tree from the Jaclyn Smith collection. It's a 7 foot "Clearwater Slim Cashmere Tree." While the slim shape stands out in the store, it's a perfect fit in our townhouse where space is at a premium. The tree is a little taller than our old one, and a lot more realistic-looking - it has a mix of branch shapes and sizes.


Eliminating red from my Christmas color scheme was the first step toward streamlining my design, and while focusing on "peace on Earth," I was drawn to earth tones, white, and sparkling metallics. The gold tree skirt (also from KMart) really helped to ground the theme (get it?).


I do have my own method for decorating a Christmas tree: I start with ribbon, then add large bulb ornaments toward the center of the tree (along with a few Scentsicles). I used burlap, gold, and silver embroidered ribbon in layers. Next, I add what I think of as "anchor" ornaments - in this year's tree, these were my grandmother's crochet snowflake ornaments and my Smith and Hawken mercury glass pinecones. 


I add more bulbs to the outer branches in a spiral pattern - this year, I used matte gold and champagne, shiny silver, and clear bulbs with a snowflake design. Then, I add special, one-of-a-kind ornaments, like our wedding cake ornament, lighthouses from North Carolina, and our brass and pewter travel ornaments. 


This year, we bought some new mini glitter ornaments in a range of earth tones, as well as gold glittered pine cone ornaments, while we were at KMart, then headed to JoAnn Fabrics and Michaels, where we picked up clip-on dove ornaments, sparkling gold floral picks, and an adorable little church ornament with a bottle brush tree. My last steps when decorating are to add 3-D elements like poinsettias and floral picks - I just stick them into the branches - and, of course, candy canes (this year I used the Hershey ones with a chocolate stripe!). I'm really pleased with the way our tree turned out - to me, it's the perfect mix of rustic and elegant, peaceful and beautiful.


Merry Christmas! Past tours: 2014, 2013, 2012.

Linking Up:
Weekend Snapshots at Her Heartland Soul
IN ITS TIME





Tuesday, June 16

Summer Style: Off the Map

One of this summer's biggest trend is a tropical spin on safari-inspired colors: olive green and toasted almond paired with fun pops of magenta and tribal-style prints. It's a great place to start a warm-weather capsule wardrobe or vacation packing list!

Disclaimer: Amazon and ModCloth links contain an affiliate code. Thank you for supporting Beyond the Aisle!

Off the Map
1. Old Navy crossbody purse 2. LOFT henley shell 3. Essie nail polish in "Flowerista" and "Picked Perfect" from Amazon  4. The North Face linen shorts from Moosejaw 
5. Chanel nail color in "Alchimie"  6. ModCloth wedge sandals  7. Ruche heel-strap sandals  8. Old Navy canvas tote

Need some outfit inspiration? Here are a few models and fashion bloggers rocking these summer shades (along with staples you probably have in your closet already!)





Have you ever experimented with a capsule wardrobe?

Linking Up:
Manic Monday at More Pieces of Me and The Daily Express

Tuesday, February 10

style challenge: pinterest inspired



I've fallen a bit behind in the Putting Me Together weekly style challenges, so if I can get my act together and not get totally overwhelmed with school work, I'll try to do two this week! Challenge #3 was one I knew I could handle - a Pinterest inspired outfit.  The challenge was picking which Pin to copy.  When the weather turned unseasonably warm this past weekend (By warm I mean for Virginia in January), I really wanted to break out my herringbone vest. Since it's one of the trendiest pieces in the blog world, I knew there'd be lots of styling ideas on Pinterest.





Here's my version, and here's the Pin:





Recently I had a conversation on another blog about how certain items are popular on blogs but maybe not so much in the real world.  Remember when every blogger was wearing bubble necklaces from J. Crew?  I bought a mini version from GroopDealz and called it a day, and today one of our math teachers had on the large version - the first large bubble necklace I have ever seen in real life.  I haven't seen another herringbone vest around here, but my co-workers make fun of me because I paid over retail on Ebay for it - my work BFF sent me a Snapchat of a girl wearing one when she was traveling in a college town.  I've worn it so many times, though, that I think my silly over-spend was worth it!  Have you bought any "trendy" items after seeing them on blogs or Pinterest?

Linking Up With:

Sunday, January 18

Sunday, December 21

Monday, December 15

clicks of note: our finest gifts we bring...

get your week off to a colorful start...
LISTEN.
  • For King and Country was a Pandora discovery for me.  "The Little Drummer Boy" has never been one of my favorite Christmas carols, mainly because the drummer boy himself is not Biblical.  However, I find this version really stirring thanks to the electric guitar and isolated vocals.  Their version of "Angels We Have Heard on High" has a creative animated video featuring their album cover art.  I'll be linking up with Musical Mondays at My So-Called Chaos.

SWOON.

SMILE.

FLASHBACK.

Wednesday, November 19

inspiration: cozy layered looks for grooms, groomsmen, and fall wedding guests

Is it just me, or do a growing majority of the grooms and groomsmen on our favorite wedding websites look like they're getting ready to audition for a Mumford and Sons cover band?  I'm not complaining - I love these stylish and festive fall looks for men.  More and more grooms are breaking away from the traditional tuxedo, and autumn's cooler temperatures mean plenty of ways to experiment with layers of gingham, tartan, tweed, and corduroy.


Both of these dapper gents are rocking plaid dress shirts with their suits.  I'm a sucker for a three-piece-suit, personally, and a bow tie gets me every time.



This group of groomsmen is rocking a pretty delightful mix of plaid, chambray, and tweed with both bowties and neckties.  Ladies, how do we feel about facial hair on the wedding day?  I kind of like it for a rustic wedding.



Not only are these gentlemen looking dapper in tweed, they are both sporting some seriously beautiful boutonnieres.



Ryan Ray via Project Wedding

In this party, the groom sports a stylish take on the three-piece-suit, swapping out suit pants for corduroys, and his groomsmen are wearing dress shirts, suspenders, and sweaters in an array of fall colors.  I am pretty sure I love everything about it.



Paula O'Hara via Ruffled | Gene Pease of Geneoh Photography via Ruffled

Serious gray jacket action going on over here, with some gorgeous natural boutonnieres.



This guy is rocking a plaid dress shirt, a tweed jacket, and a velvet bowtie.
Let him be an inspiration to us all.




I love the dashes of color and pattern paired with tweed, and these amazingly artistic fall boutonnieres.  I can hear "Wagon Wheel" in my head when I look at these guys.




Velvet bow tie.  Velvet.  Bow tie.  I bet this guy has elbow patches, too.




You know a man is well-dressed when you can call him ruggedly handsome without even looking at his face.

Okay, readers, time to weigh in - how do you feel about the mix and match trend for grooms and groomsmen?  Guys, would you sport this style as a wedding guest?  And let's not forget the facial hair question.