Pretty in Prints

Prints have been huge this year and I hope they carry over to Fall and Winter.  Fall is almost here in eastern NC.  It's still in the mid seventies most days, which is nice because it means I can keep wearing my sandals for another week or so.  Though I do have some new leggings stockpiled and waiting in the wings to wear with boots soon.  Sometimes drab and neutral, fall clothes get me a little bit down, but I am looking forward to watching my razor collect dust during the coming cold months.  (Thanks, Leggings!)

I ordered this great mixed paisley print dress from Zulilly.  It was manufactured in India, though there was no manufacturer name label inside, so I can;t tell you where to get one of your own.  I love the bright colors, grass green is a pretty close runner up to orange ad my favorite color.  Since my dress came from India, I decided to pair it with some green bead earrings that Rachael brought back form her recent trip to India. The best kinds of friends to have are the kind that buy you accessories!

Lane Bryant Cardi, Naturalizer Sandals

These shoes make me feel so tall!

We will be switching gears to fall clothes coming up.  Thanks for reading!

Over the weekend I headed up to Asheville, NC for my college reunion at Warren Wilson College.  (Asheville, btw is a magical place that all of you should visit before you die.  It's beautiful and full of friendly, interesting, and unusual people.)  I'm not a particularly nostalgic or emotional person, so I was surprised that visiting my old campus actually made me a bit melancholy.

Prior to our reunion dinner, I received a card in the mail along with the invite asking me to write down the craziest thing I had done while attending WWC.  And I couldn't think of a single thing.  I have never been much of a risk taker and I would probably describe myself as a bit of a wallflower during my college years and being back there reminded me of good times and old friends, but it also reminded me of all the insecurities I had back then, and how I let those insecurities keep me from really living my life to the fullest.

My visit also had me reflecting a bit about my style back then.  It was pretty typical hippie-college style back then, flare leg jeans, sandals or clogs, and whatever clean top that was nearby.  I rarely wore make-up and never shaved and I always looked slightly disheveled like someone who just woke up from a nap (mostly because I had probably, actually, just woken up from a nap).  I definitely blended it.  

These days I don't dress to blend in anymore, I wear what I like, whenever I want, wherever I want.  And I think it's an outward manifestation of the confidence I found/made in my late twenties and now my thirties.  If you asked me to fill out a card today about the craziest thing I have done, I could prob come up with a short list.  I'm still not the world's biggest risk-taker, but I'm not afraid to get out there and see and be seen anymore.  

There is only one constant from my style then to now and that's my affinity for cardigans.  (Well actually I still don't shave my underarms, is that considered a part of my style?.)  I always have and always will love me a cardigan.  I own dozens of them in every color imaginable.  I wear one practically every day; I even have some lightweight ones for summer months.  I have cropped ones and long boyfriend ones, prints and solids.  But lately the cardigans that I am most obsessed with are the super adorable, retro-inspired, Isaac Mizrahi Live!, cardis from QVC.  That's right QVC, you read it correctly.  His cardigans are well-made, come in fabulous colors and prints and so far I have three of them.  Behold:

Isaac Mizrahi Live! cardigan in ikat print, ASOS Curve dress, and Annie shoes.

I think I must've seen this pose in a JC Penney Catalog, it says "I'm sassy, but I take no guff."   

Another ASOS Curve desss with Naturalizer sandals.

Holding onto my sweater tight to keep it form blowing away like my hair.  ;)

I didn't get a picture of myself in this cardi, though it is probably my current favorite.  Can't you picture it with a pair of red trousers?  So cute for fall.

Until next time Stripers, make sure to give yourself permission to be who you really are, flaws and all. Whoever you are is enough and positively fabulous.

xoxo, Kelly

Orange you glad?

Look, it's me, wearing more orange.  I don't know what it is with me and this color, but I can't get enough of it.  I was going through my clothes the other day and couldn't believe how much orange I have in my wardrobe.  It's starting to resemble Fred Flintsone's closet in there.

Lane Bryant cami, Asos skirt, Ralph Lauren madras clutch, Annie shoes.

Seriously, even the gemstone in my ring is orange.

One of my many orange dresses, this one is by Asos.

What colors are ya'll obsessed with, Stripers?   Please tell me that I'm not the only one with this problem.

xo, Kelly

Maxi-mize your wardrobe!

Greeting Horizontal Stripers!

     As the seasons are about to change again, I thought it would be a great time to discuss the year round favorite: the Maxi dress! As readers of the blog know, I love a maxi dress. They're quick and easy, can be dressed up or down, and can function year round to boot! What's not to love? Though most people think  about summer when they pull out their maxis, they're a great way to stretch your current wardrobe into fall with cardigans, boots, and tights. Below I challenged myself to dress up a maxi, which I never do.  If I were actually wearing this out for date night or something, I think I would've added a necklace, a cardigan, and a little makeup.

 

Dress: SWAK via Gwynnie Bee// Shoes: Torrid// Belt: Lane Bryant// Earrings: Cato

  Here are a few more ideas about how to stretch your summer wardrobe into winter.

Image courtesy of Polyvore for those end of summer days

Some more inspiration from Polyvore for those entering fall a bit earlier than the rest

 

  Please excuse my wayward hair; we don't have stylists waiting in the wings on this blog.

     The plain and simple truth is that you don't have to replace your wardrobe every season to find great new looks! Supplementing the clothing you already have is a great way to look chic, limit your purchases to trends you're interested in trying, and possibly discover a new favorite in your existing closet. Take your own adventure to Narnia during this seasonal switch. Don't be afraid to mix things up! 

Until next time Stripers!

Xoxo,

Brittani

Bargain Shoppa!

I love a deal.  I come from a long, proud, line of bargain hunters.  The women in my family do not believe in paying full price for anything.  20% off is not a bargain, 10% off won't even make us look up from our sale circular, and 5% just makes us laugh and shake our heads (seriously, Retailers?).  We want a real deal, a deal we can boast about.  When someone compliments our new sweater we want to be able to smile and say "Thanks, $4.00, Macy's clearance rack."

Bargain shopping takes patience, you can't be too impulsive with your purchases and you have to accept that sometimes you are not going to get that skirt that you love because it may sell out in your size before it gets cheap enough.  It also takes time, not everyone has a lot, I know, but it involves digging through heaps of clearance clothes and racks at consignment shops.  But it is possible to dress like a princess on a pauper's budget.


This dress I'm wearing is a true, bona fide, bargain.  It's Cynthia Rowley and I got it for........$19.99 at Marshalls a few months ago.  It wouldn't be half a lovely if I paid full price!

Lane Bryant cardi and cami, Aerosoles sansals.

Pretty in pink!

A lot of great deals can be found online too, if you prefer it.  There are some great bargain sites like Ideeli.com, Zulilly.com, and 6pm.com.  Also, before you make any online purchase, you should take a minute to do a google search for promo codes.  I find them a lot and it can save you an extra 20% off or get you free shipping.

Some of my favorite brick and mortar stores to get deals from are Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Macy's.

Happy Hunting,
Kelly

Starstruck

Greetings Horizontal Stripers!
    At our last photo shoot I was not feeling very photogenic. I'm usually the one dancing around in the background so that the other Stripers can laugh for the camera, but my perk was gone that fateful morning until I put on the piece de resistance. I'm in love with this dress, and I just had to bring in some props to exploit my inner diva! I knew she was in there somewhere. Eat your heart out Beyonce!

This snazzy number has a handkerchief hem which isn't my usual go to, but there's just something about it! 

Dress: Ashley Stewart (on clearance now!) Shoes: Torrid

Telephone not included ;-)

You're just hilarious, Dahling!

Bang Bang! We're beautiful and dirty rich!

     The other Stripers and I are so glad to bring you our little piece of creativity each week, so to help fluff my plumage I decided to channel the one and only Gaga by alluding to several of her song lyrics in this post. You get some cool points if you can find them all. We hope that Horizontal Stripes inspires you to let your inner diva shine through: without the mental breakdowns and trips to rehab, of course! While you're channeling your inner Sasha Fierce, check out I Live the Cute Life. It's an awesome blog by a friend of mine whose wit and insight into life will not only have you in stitches, but will also have you nodding your head in agreement.

Until next time Stripers! Groove. Slam. Work It Back. Filter That, Baby Bump That Track! 

Brittani

Sometimes I get a little too attached......

When I love an article of clothing or accessories, it takes all my willpower to keep myself from wearing it EVERYDAY.  When I was in high school,  it was a bright yellow shirt that fit me just perfectly, in my opinion anyway.  I would wear it something like three days a week, until a few of my friends were like, "Seriously, what's with the shirt?"

So although I have an overflowing closet, I pretty much wear the same 15 things over and over again.  But if it wasn't for fear of another intervention, I would probably wear the same 4 things over and over till I tired of them or they fell apart.

Old Navy cardi with a blue and green, color-blocked, dress that I got for about $15 at Ross Dress for Less.  It has pockets! 

This is the pose I make when I am shushing people in the library stacks.  I am obviously taken very seriously.

This Old Navy cardi is on it's last legs.  It has a little hole in the shoulder, the color is starting to fade, but I still love it and I will keep wearing it until it totally disintegrates. I hope you like it too, because you will probably see it again......and again.



xo, Kelly

Boop Boop Be Doop!

Greetings Horizontal Stripers!
    An outfit you feel sassy in is one that will be around for a long time! Everyone should have something they can throw on that makes them feel polished and happy in less than five minutes! If you don't have that outfit ladies begin the hunt!

 

Dress: Lane Bryant circa 2009 // Peeptoes: BCBG // Headband + Earrings: Cato

Ginny's not the only adorkable one in this group!

Walk this way! Attempt to look cool on camera this way!  

Alrighty Horizontal Stripers,
Now that I'm done channeling my inner Steven Tyler, I will bid you adieu! What's that outfit or makeup trick that equals instant polish for you?
Until next time!
Brittani

Gray skies are gonna clear up......

It has been a bit dreary here the past few weeks with all of this rain and it hasn't really felt like summer at all.   Nothing perks me up quite like a new dress, so I got this cheerful, poppy print, number from Simply Be and it has done the trick. 

This dress definitely spreads sunshine all over the place, especially when paired with a bright yellow Lane Bryant cardi and Aerosoles sandals.

Please focus on the dress and not the seriously weird, faces that I am making in these pics. 

I sometimes hear people say that they can't wear a particular color because of their skin tone or hair color and I can honestly say that I have never considered either of those as a factor when buying clothes.  I have four orange dresses in my closet and only one black one.  If I like a color, I wear it.  And sometimes I like to wear multiple bright colors together.  I'm sure they don't always flatter me as well as some other colors, but life's too short to wear neutrals all the time.  So rock that hot pink and neon green, friends, as long as it puts a happy face on you.

:)  Kelly