Gray Days

Some days I am just feeling gray! Not sad...the color. I wanted to create a monochromatic look to start off this week's blog posts so I grabbed my gray faux leather skirt which turned out to be the foundation of this particular outfit. I paired the skirt with my gray sweater (which can be worn on or off the shoulders), black sandals, and faux snakeskin clutch which helps tie all the various shades of gray together nicely. When you wear a monochromatic look remember all the shades of the color you choose don't have to be the exact same shade. As long as the shades are in the same color family the look can come together nicely. 

MONDAY MOTIVATION: I know sometimes we may actually feel down (or gray) but don't let a little funk get in the way of your fabulousness!!! Even when you don't feel your BEST don't let it show. Grab your favorite dress (or jeans if that's your thing) and pumps and rock them with your head held high and your  confidence shining through. Your gray skies will clear up in no time :)

Outfit Details: Sweater (TJ Maxx), Faux Leather Skirt (Topshop), Sandals (Forever 21), Clutch (Target), Bangles (Macy's), Necklace (Kiosk at the Mall), MK Watch (Macy's), Aviators (H&M)

I pray you have a wonderful Monday!

Xo,
-Ali

PS: Shout out to my hubby for sweating it out with me to take these great photos and for having great patience with me to get the perfect shots!

Golden Details

I'm a lover of BIG things: big closets, big hair, and even big cities. But sometimes, its cool to scale back and enjoy the simplicities of life. Contrary to popular belief there are a lot of small towns around the state of GA that have hidden charm like Warner Robins, Macon, and Perry, GA; although lot of people who live outside of the state of Georgia think that Atlanta is the only city here (really, but not really). I went "downtown" Perry the other day with my hubby, camera in hand, while sporting my golden details (the trim of my glasses, the ankle strap on my wedges, and my layered gold chains) and here's some of the shots we captured.

Outfit Details: Army Green Tunic (Forever 21), Distressed Denim Shorts (Forever 21), Wedges with Gold Ankle Strap (Forever 21), Sunnies (Forever 21), Hat (H&M), Watch (Charming Charlie's), Short Gold Necklace (Forever 21), Long Triple Layered Gold Necklace (Thrifted)

From the budding trees and rustic alleyways, to the cobblestone side walks this quaint area had a southern charm which helped my basic threads and golden accents shine through! As you head into the weekend don't let anyone dim your light.

"Shine bright like a diamond and live your life like it's golden have a lovely weekend!"

Xoxo,
-Ali

The Leather Look

I like this double leather look because it's fun yet edgy. To create the look I paired my leather crop top with my leather skater skirt. I then grabbed my leather boots with the gold zipper and buckle detail in the rear. By layering two statement necklaces it helped to add an unexpected element of softness  to this hardened look. I found this old deserted gas station which served as the back drop for this photoshoot that assisted in amping up the ruggedness of this ensemble. As you can see from my last post (Pop of Neon) and the post today, crop tops are definitely on my "Summer Must - Have" list. 

SN: When I mention leather in this post it is all faux leather (there was no harming of animals from any of my "leather items). 

Outfit Details: Leather Crop Top (Forever 21), Leather Skater (H&M), Leather Boots w/ Gold Details (Target), Black, White, & Gold Statement Necklace (Charlotte Russe), Pastel Statement Necklace (Forever 21), Aviator Sunnies (H&M), Gold Watch (Charming Charlie's)

This look is a little dark and edgy, but it works! You may not be a fan of crop tops where you are showing off your mid section but keep in mind, you can wear the trend in a "classy" way without exposing your entire midsection. Ali's Fashion Sense Fashion Tip: If you want to incorporate a crop top into your summer rotation but you're uncomfortable with the idea of exposing your entire midsection grab a crop top that is a little longer in length and pair it with bottoms (skirt, shorts, or pants) that are high waisted so you are only showing a "peek - a - boo" of skin!

Happy Hump Day fashionistas!

-Ali

xoxoxo

Pop of Neon

Sometimes looks come together organically and today's post was example of it. I was going through my closet trying to pick out ensembles that I could rock on the blog this week and remembered I haven't sported my cream J.Lo palazzo pants in a while (if you're interested to see how I rocked the look previously check it out here). I wanted to change up the look a little bit so I decided to pair the wide legged pants with a cream linen blazer to give the outfit some structure. I then added my neon crop top from Charlotte Russe to infuse a unexpected pop of color to the ensemble. I'm very pleased with how the look turned out. It is very sophisticated (which I must give credit to the bob for upping the class factor along with the pearls) and chic. The pop of color helps the outfit stand out from the norm and helps pull the look together magnificently. 

Outfit Details: Linen Blazer (Forever 21), Neon Crop Top (Charlotte Russe), J.Lo Palazzo Pants (Kohl's), Snakeskin Clutch (Target), Pearl Necklace (Forever 21), Nude Sandals -Not Shown (Charlotte Russe), Cream & Gold Watch (Target)

Instead of just posing in front of the camera with this look I wore this outfit on date night this past weekend in Atlanta to celebrate my 2nd wedding anniversary. My hubby liked the outfit plus I got a ton of compliments! So I would say, this look was a success. What are your thoughts on the look? Would you rock palazzo pants and a crop top? How about neon for the summer? I'd love to hear your thoughts...don't be shy, comment below.

Thanks luv bugs!

-Ali

xoxoxo

Graffiti Jungle

This past week I was able to travel back to my home state of Michigan where I came to celebrate with my dear friend Jeanine for her baby shower. Not only was I was also able to meet up with family and friends I was also able to do a quick impromptu photo shoot with my mom behind the lens (shoutout to my mom for the great photos). There's this great alley in Ann Arbor, MI (a big college town) filled with awesome graffiti layered on top of each other. It's visually stimulating! No matter where you turn there's artwork on every wall. The colors, the patterns, etc. are super dope. This eclectic alleyway really amped up my simple black and white ensemble and took it to the next level. 

*Sidebar: Can we just get into the slayage of my bob? Whenever I come home, I like to make an appointment to get my hair done. Since the weather is warming up quickly I wanted a cute, flirty, bob! It turned out better than I imagined! 

Outfit Details: Chained Blazer (Forever 21), White Tee (Calvin Klein), Leather Joggers (Online Boutique), Lace - Up Booties (Charlotte Russe), MK Watch (Macy's), Sunnies (H&M), Statement Necklace (Charlotte Russe)

This post really energizes me :) Maybe it's the cool art and the vibrant colors. I hope these vivid colors can brighten up your Monday morning!!!!

SN: HAPPY 2nd Anniversary to my hubby! 2 Years Strong, a Lifetime to go!!!!

-Ali
xoxoxo

Technicolored Coverup

Sometimes you find a jewel when you least expect it! 2 years ago I bought this multicolored swimsuit coverup for my honeymoon in Jamaica. When I bought it I was drawn to the eye - popping colors, the free - flowing design, and the luxurious feel! I know you're thinking you wore a swimsuit coverup outside of going to the beach or the pool? "Yep" you would be correct! I'm all for breaking fashion rules and stepping outside the box (or coloring outside the lines)...figuratively of course! I've been wanting to pair this coverup with a non - poolside look for sometime now, but I've never found the perfect matchup until NOW! 

While perusing through my closet to see which outfits I would shoot for the blog this week, I stumbled across my elaborate technicolored coverup hanging at the back of my closet in all it's glory! I've attempted (and failed plenty of times) to pair this coverup with items like jeans and a simple top, and even a dress but neither looks spoke to my inner fashion spirit. So I guess my closet was offering me a fashion gift because the way my closet is set up places this coverup next to my jumpsuits. I pulled out this Kardashian Kollection jumpsuit that I scored from Sears a couple years ago and placed the colorful coverup on top! And wallah...I swear I even heard the fashion heavens open up and sing "Hallelujah!" Here's the end result of my pairing of the bold coverup and subdued jumpsuit. A colorful masterpiece.

Outfit Details: Swimsuit Coverup (H&M), Black Kardashian Kollection Jumpsuit (Sears), Sandals (Forever 21), Purple Rimmed Sunnies (Forever 21), Earrings (Beauty Supply Store), Bangles (Unknown)

I hope you enjoyed today's look as much as I had fun shooting it! Have an awesome weekend luvs. See you back here bright and early Monday morning :)

-Ali

xoxoxo