I see London, I see France.... wait. No.

Last weekend, my parents took a trip to London!  It was a glorious time, but I have to say, half the fun was getting dressed to go out!!  Here are a couple of my outfits from our mini vacation.

This outfit was inspired by Kendi (my favorite fashion blogger).  She wore this very same dress in this same way, but with a different top.  I even tricked my own mom into thinking this was a high-waisted skirt, when in reality, it's a dress and a top pinned very carefully to the bodice.

Dress: shopruche.com

Shirt: Ross

Shoes: Target

Sunglasses: Random store I can't remember

Purse: A cute shop in Italy

Belt: H&M

Chillin' with some chums.

Top: H&M

Skirt: Piazza Italia

Scarf: A store called Tequila (and I promise, no alcohol was being sold/served there.  Promise.)

Shoes: Target

And what's that in my hand?  A TOPSHOP bag.  I'm sure what I bought will be showing up in a later outfit post.  :)  I'm thrilled to bits.

Foundation: BB Cream
Blush: Mary Kay "Shy Blush"
Bronzer: Urban Decay Baked
Lipstick: Maybelline "Pink and Proper"
Mascara (even though you can't see it): CoverGirl Lash Blast

For my hair, I did the top half section in a fat twist, and then I fishtail braided the bottom half section off to one side.  I pinned back my bangs because of the wind, and you can also see that the wind mussed the back a bit.  But to be honest, I like it that way.  :)

I only have one decent photo of this one...

Shoes: Target

Dress: H&M

Belt: H&M

Coat: London Fog

Earrings: Icing

Swing Sweater: Target

Dress: Sears

I wore this dress out to go see Billy Elliot at the theatre.  It was such a fun night!  I wore a pair of nude heels and my London Fog coat with it, but neglected to photograph it.  As you can see, throughout the whole trip, I maintained a 60's-ish vibe... this is something I've been very into lately, and I think you'll notice it in upcoming OOTDs.

Have a great day, everyone!

-Caroline  

French Sophistication

Bonjour!  It's Caroline.

I've just moved to Brussels, Belgium, as of yesterday.  I love it so much, and I definitely think I will enjoy living here.

Brussels is very metropolitan, and has beautiful architecture and a lovely atmosphere.  However, one thing I noticed, of course, was the clothes!  At this time of year, the weather is fairly chilly, but comfortable enough to get by with a light jacket.

There are two main groups of people in Brussels:  the French and the Flemish.  I have always loved French magazines and so on, but I'm finally really seeing the French style in action, and I've decided that it's absolutely my favorite.

French woman make style look so easy.  They put together very simple pieces in elegant ways, but manage to look like they just rolled out of bed and threw on the first thing they saw.  It's incredibly impressive, and very feminine and classic.

Their hair and makeup looks very un-done.  Secretly, they spend quite a bit of time on it, but it looks as if they, again, rolled out of bed and spent two minutes doing it.  This is a skill I must absolutely master.

I've seen a few types of outfits that hit me in particular, and so I went on Polyvore and made a couple for you!  (And I love how the French wear color, as opposed to the Italian aesthetic of dark blacks and grays.)

French 01 by jabberbabywokky featuring a button jacket

This particular style I took from the lady in front of us on the plane.  Her hair was perfectly mussed, and she just looked so elegant.  It's amazing how she looked elegant even in converse shoes and jeans.  I was deeply impressed, to say the least.

French 02 by jabberbabywokky featuring retro pumps


Most of the people in this particular area, where we're staying temporarily, are business people.  The business women wear very cute shoes, mostly with shorter heels as opposed to the Italian stilettos, and wide-leg pants, which are very on-trend.

French 03 by jabberbabywokky featuring a biker jacket

I've seen several women, mostly younger ladies, wearing a simple trench coat or a leather jacket with summer dresses and bare legs.  It's not quite so cold that this is strange, and I think it looks very put together, especially with a top-knot and some ballet flats.  The trend of slightly masculine jackets with a feminine dress and girlish accessories is very popular here, from what I can tell, and I love it!

That's all for now, but tell me... would you wear the French style?

-Caroline

Traveling Tips

Hey y'all!  It's Caroline.

Because I live in Europe, my family and I go on weekend trips every once in a while.  Not to mention, I've grown up living far from family and often have to live out of a suitcase for a month or two at a time.

via

I often forget to pack things, but I'm getting better.  I have a few travel tips to share for all you stylin' ladies.

     {one} Carry salt packs in your purse.  This was a recent idea that I had, but I think it's fantastic!  Grab extra salt packs at restaurants and movie theaters and carry them around.  This way, you can just add water and make one of my DIY salt tricks on the go.

     {two}  Roll up your socks and your underwear tightly and put them in your suitcase last.  You can stuff them into extra pockets of space, and even tuck them inside your shoes!

     {three}  Use big Ziploc bags to put folded t-shirts in, and then close them part of the way.  Squeeze ALL of the air out.  Now you have a perfectly flat bag that you can line your suitcase with.  This works best with clothes that don't wrinkle easily, or are easy to iron.


     {four}  Pack all of your toiletries, even the ones you'll use before you leave the house, the day before you leave.  That way you can go through your whole regimen for an entire day and morning as you normally would, and this way you'll be able to know, in advance, if you've neglected to put something in the toiletry bag.  


     {five}  For long necklaces that get tangled, use straws!  Take some scissors and cut the straw to the length you need it, and then string the necklace through the straw and clasp it.  This way, your necklaces will remain straight and tangle-free.


     {six}  I'm always collecting little makeup bags.  That way, you can know where each thing is and just stuff the little bags in empty spaces.  For instance, the red leather bag is for my blush, powder, and eyeshadow quads.  The blue and brown bag is for my mascara and eyeliner, and the green bag is for my foundation.


     {seven}  Pack clothes that are on a similar color-scheme.  Bring a bunch of pieces; never just outfits.  This way you can wear the same things over and over, while at the same time looking different because you've mixed and matched.


     {eight}  If you're bringing some heels with you, wear the ones that take up the most space!  I prefer to dress up when I fly or take a train, so this isn't a problem for me.  I wore stilettos on my last plane trip!  This won't work for everyone, but if you can, it certainly helps with finding space in your bag.


     {nine}  Pack a good carry-on.  I keep some sort of clothes-change in my carry-on in case of lost luggage.  You need something to get you by until you can get your suitcase or until you can buy some new clothes.


     {ten}  Tape lids.  I always put tape around the lids of any liquid products I bring, even if they're in a separate bag.  They haven't popped open once since I've started doing this.


     {eleven}  This one is specifically for airplane travel.  Before you go through the hassle of security, go ahead and take out your laptop, your baggie of liquids, and your i.d. before you go through the line.  Also remove any hats, scarves, or shoes you are wearing so that you can just throw things in the bin without holding up the line.


That's all for now folks!  If you have any travel questions, just ask!  I'm happy to answer.

Venice Travel-Wear

Hey, It's Caroline!

This weekend I was away in Venice with my family.  I packed enough so I could look relatively "different" each day, but only brought a few pieces.  I realized on my way home that I didn't get pictures of every outfit, but I'll show you the ones that I did get!

"Mom.  Put down the camera.  I was TRYING to get a picture of youuu.  My legs hurt."

Blue boyfriend cardigan ~ Macy's
Red/White striped tank top ~ Old Navy (could be mistaken on this one)
Boyfriend jeans ~ The Gap
Ballet flats ~ Alfani (you can get this brand at Macy's)
Bag~ Shoe station
Cream feathered earrings ~ Charlotte Russe

Well that's awkward.  Dad = "Why do you keep hitching your knee up like that?"

This picture makes me look short.  I'm not short.  But I'm really diggin' that awesome door behind me.

Lace shirt ~ Macy's (sale rack/clearance)
Denim skirt ~ Old Navy
Leggings ~ Target
Ballet flats ~ Alfani
Bag ~ Shoe Station
Watch ~ Geneva (from Lauren!!)
Sunglasses ~ Michael Kors (on sale at Marshall's)

Cousin IT!

Blazer ~ H&M

That's about all the good outfit photos I got.  Not much... and I did wear some cute wedges, a trench, and  a different shirt at another time... but I didn't get pictures of that.  Next time I go on a trip, I'll be more vigilant.  :)

If you want to hear more about my trip, go to my blog.  I'll be posting trip pictures in installments here and there.

Have a great day!