Office to Office Party Style

The Holiday season is almost upon us and no matter how you celebrate, everyone will be attending parties and impromptu gatherings. For me, lots of these events may be planned for the hours immediately after work and involve coworkers. There’s no time to go home and change and because my coworkers are involved, I want to look festive and professional. A great dress fits that bill. By changing up a few accessories and my shoes, I can go from office professional to holiday festive, in a flash.

Printed Mesh Dress

 

I love this dress from Roaman’s. The fitted top and flared skirt are flattering on all body types. The silhouette is especially flattering on my pear shaped frame. The colors of the dress are versatile and mean that it could work year round. You know I’m all about the multi-seasonal clothes. The pattern and piping give it some visual interest. For the office, I would add a blazer, some classic pumps, simple but pretty stud earrings, bracelets, a watch, and a colorful tote to carry my daytime essentials.

Dress/Blazer/Pumps/Bag/Watch/Bracelets/Earrings

 

I’m all about simple, after a long work day. I’d just swap my pumps for some metallic sandals and the blazer for a bolero sweater, (a wrap, or go without a topper,) add a sparkly necklace and a statement bracelet, and swap out my day tote for an evening bag. As you know the sparkly jewelry from Stella and Dot is a regular part of my wardrobe and I’m in love with this evening bag from Zara. You could carry it hands free with the shoulder strap (easier to juggle a cocktail) or tuck in the strap and carry it as a clutch. It would be easy to throw all of the items into a small tote bag and carry them with me. I could make this quick change in my office (or cubicle). To lend additional evening flare, I’d go for a more dramatic lip color, add an extra coat of mascara and I’d be set.

Dress/Bolero Sweater/Heeled Sandals/Bag/Watch/Bracelet/Earrings/Necklace

 

This same method could work on the weekend, with a casual day outfit. Just dress up your jeans and t-shirt with a fancy jacket, heels, and some statement jewelry. The Holidays are a busy time for everyone, simplifying your wardrobe changes will take a bit of the stress away.

 

Disclosure: The opinions expressed in this post are my own. This is a sponsored post.

 

Halloween Fun 2014

One of my favorite holidays has now come and gone. Our annual Halloween party was a blast. We finally decided on our costumes (thank goodness) and I love how they turned out. Our friends had a fun, which is really all I care about. There was great food, good drinks and all around craziness. I was so busy having fun that I didn't get photos of all of our guests. I think next year I'm going to set up a little photo booth to make sure I get shots of everyone. Now on to the fun.

I created this skull cake for my friend Kris' birthday, which happened to fall on the day of the party.

A spooky cocktail was in order. I found this vampire blood cocktail idea on Pinterest and modified it to my taste a bit. The original idea and recipe came from The Self Proclaimed Foodie. It turned out great and everyone loved it.

I attempted to create another Pinterest find, mini caramel apples. As you can see in the photo, they were a huge fail. When I first created them they looked great. After about an hour, they looked like this. The juice from the apples caused the caramel to slide off and created this watery, mushy mess. These ended up in the trash.

We ended up dressing as the Mad Hatter and Alice (a punk rock version). I think {msL's} costume and make-up turned out great! I decided on a rocker version of Alice, complete with a paint splatered dress, ripped hi-low tutu, floral Doc Martens, and tattoos. I already owned the dress and until last week it was destined for the trash. It has some stains and I hadn't been able to remove them. Instead I took Sharpies in shades of blue and created a paint splatter effect.

The Mad Hatter and our friend Kevin, the Prince.

Gaby and Mia look great as the women of Sons of Anarchy. No biker chick costume would be complete without attitude!

Kris (the birthday girl) and Lauren (her girlfriend), look amazing as Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. Kris did that make-up herself (including Lauren's scarred cheek). Kris is a scary and impressive Bid Bad and Lauren is a beautiful Red. Incredible!

It was such a great time. I'm a bit sad that I didn't get more photos. There were so many good costumes. I also missed getting a photo of our newest outdoor decoration, a posable skeleton (like this one). I hope you all had as much fun at your Halloween gatherings as I did.

Don't forget to come out and see me next Saturday at the Shopaholics Suite in Silver Spring, Maryland (DETAILS and TICKETS HERE). It's going to be a fab afternoon of fashion and bargains. I hope you'll be there.

photo credits: @peacfulsafira, @_gabillionairee, @daisybee45

Inspiration - Halloween 2014

It's time to start decorating for our annual Halloween party. It's become an exciting tradition for our friends and I look forward to it every year. I love the decorations we have but like to change things up and give guests some surprises. This year we are also celebrating the birthday of one of our guests, which means that we have to pull out all the stops, of course. As you can see, I go for spooky over cute. What's Halloween without creepiness? Here are a few new sources of inspiration.

The designers and creators at Martha Stewart are genius. The ideas they come up with are incredible and memorable.

 

My friend the DC Goodwill Fashionista is featuring last year's party and decorations, many purchased from Goodwill, on her blog today. Head on over and show her some love!


photo credits: marthastewart.com, abcdesign.com, houzz.com, epicurious.com, cocktails at marthastewart.com

Inspiration - Halloween Party

We're hosting a small Halloween party this Saturday.  I've always wanted to throw a Halloween party but have never managed to pull it off.  This year I was determined. I'm definitely more of a skulls and macabre Halloween girl.  I knew I wanted elegant and spooky decor but frankly it took me a long time to come up with my costume and even longer to come up with {msL's} costume. I've worked hard at refining the decor, my costume and the menu. I can't wait for Saturday. Since I don't want to spoil the surprise for our guest (who read RGR), I won't reveal anything here, but I will have lots of photos next week. Many of these photos served as my Halloween inspiration.

 

Frugal Fashion Friday - Great Gatsby Mystery Party

Over Memorial Day weekend, some friends and I are throwing a 1920's themed (Great Gatsby style) Murder Mystery Dinner Party. We are all dressing up and donning our best 20's fashion. Each of the guests will have a character to play in the mystery. My character is Dina Diva, the juice joint singer.  Of course I have to dress the part.  I could buy a pre-made costume but I would prefer a fun dress and jewelry that I can wear again.  I already have some items I can use and if I make any purchases it will be a great dress.

Click on the photo above for buying information.

 

Most flapper style dresses are shift style, long and straight. My curvy girl body and hips look terrible in that type of dress. If I get the dress large enough to fit my lower half, my waist and boobs are swimming and I look twenty pounds heavier. I definitely don't need that. A dress that has a 20's feel but has a waist will work much better. It will be much more flattering on me. If I decide not to spend money on a dress, I already have a cute black dress that might work. I could also hit my local thrift stores to find an inexpensive dress and add some crystals or fringe.

Luckily for me, I love art deco style jewelry.  I have some fantastic long necklaces including one with a tassel and I own this exact bracelet and similar earrings.  A few years ago, I purchased long, black, satin gloves for a Halloween costume. Sitting in my overflowing shoe collection,  I have several pairs of t-strap heels that will work with this dress or any dress that I select.

My plan is to have a great costume without spending lots of money.  I'll be creating a DIY headband using a scarf or ribbon and some brooches I already own.  My makeup will be red lips and a smokey eye and my hair will likely be in tight curls or finger waves.

I'm excited for the party and I'm sure we'll have a blast.  I'm also working on our drinks and appetizers.  Our hostess and my friend, Denise will be making the yummy dinner and our friend Carrie will be making a decadent dessert.

I've always been fascinated by the roaring 20's culture and style.  I can't wait for the party!

Insprired by Pinterest - Party by Pinterest

On Sunday I hosted a Stella & Dot Trunk show.  It was a fun afternoon of jewelry, girl time, laughing and yummy food and drink.  I'll have details about the jewelry in a later post.  My Stella & Dot stylist, Kristin Biggs, advised me to go for easy finger food to make jewelry shopping and styling easy.  I decided to do some searching on Pinterest for ideas.  All but one of the recipes I made were created based on Pinterest pinned recipes or ideas.

First I cooked my own roasted red peppers to use in antipasto kabobs (see below). I knew the fresh version would taste much better than the jar version I could get at the store.

Using those peppers, I made antipasta kabobs. They were delicious and everyone loved them.  An easy, no stress recipe, for those who don't like to cook.

Just assemble the items you are going to use in your kabobs.  My choices were olives (black and green, cherry tomatoes, pepperoni (regular and turkey), mini fresh mozzarella balls, salami, and cooked tortellini marinated in Italian dressing. Then I compiled the kabobs. The great thing is that you don't need any special cooking skills to create them and they don't have to be perfect.  You can use any combination of flavors that you like. Pick your own kabob ingredients. I even created some without olives because some folks don't like olives. I also created a few kabobs without the tortellini and substituted roasted red peppers and turkey pepperoni for the tortellini, salami and regular pepperoni. I decided not to marinate all of the items in Italian dressing. The flavors of the items are great already and I didn't think they needed the dressing.

The suggestion I found to use a melon baller to create the cucumber cups was genius!  It worked great. I created my own recipe for the filling.  It was a bit watery and I will definitely use different ingredients next time.

The cheesecake stuffed strawberries were the hit of the party. I used a melon baller to scoop out the strawberries and it worked just as well as the cukes.  The recipe suggested using a pastry bag and star tip to pipe in the filling. I couldn't be bothered with that so I just filled a zip lock bag, sealed it and cut off one of the corners. It worked like a charm.

I served champagne punch that was inspired by Pinterest as well. The recipe I found called for champagne and vodka, which I loved.  I used a mixed berry juice as the main flavor instead of pomegranate. There you have it, you too can throw a party using recipes found on Pinterest.  Everyone loved the food. I didn't have any leftovers and a good time was had by all.

This post is installment number two for Saw Pinned Conquered.  Be sure to check out all of the other posts on Amy's blog, At the Pink of Perfection.

Frugal Fashion Friday - Easy Holiday Party Staples

It's really hard for me to believe that next week is Thanksgiving.  The year seems to have flown by and the Holidays are upon us.  That means Holiday parties and events for work, family and friends. There is a party or event happening almost every weekend from Thanksgiving through New Years.  I love Holiday parties, getting together with friends and dressing up.  At lots of these occasions I will see the same faces.  It sounds a bit Hollywood but I don't want to show up in the same outfit twice. Even more important, I want to feel stylish, confident, and at ease. There are also those impromtu and last minute events where I'll need a quick outfit that will look great.

Over the years I've come up with some strategies for these events. I've bought some stand by items that have served me well and they are my go to party items. I feel polished and confident in them and they are easy to mix and match with great tops and accessories to create an easy to throw together party outfit.

My Go To Party Items

• Tuxedo Jacket - They are available in all sizes, styles and price points. You can wear it with a skirt or a pair of jeans and look polished.
• White Dress Shirt - Pair it with your tuxedo jacke or your satin skirt, ala Sharon Stone (see below).
• Great Tee - A simple, well fitting t shirt in a neutral color can dress down your maxi skirt or be a blank canvas for your tuxedo jacket and statement necklace.
• Stand Out Shoes - Choose a pair that fit your personal style, taste and comfort level. I have a pair of heels and a pair of flats, I choose based on my mood and need for comfort.
• Statement Necklaces - I have several but if you only want one, pick a version that suits your personality.  You can wear it to a party or to dress up your jeans and tee.
• Satin Maxi Skirt - I love my satin maxi skirt. I have worn it so many times to different events and it's my go to for evening weddings. If satin isn't your style, try chiffon, or silk.

I found all of the items listed above at a bargain.  By checking department store outlets like Saks Off 5th and Nordstrom Rack, I scored the satin skirt ($40) and tuxedo jacket (Gianfranco Ferre, $60) for a steal. I also own a men's tuxedo jacket that I bought at Goodwill for $6. My white dress shirt is a no iron shirt. It makes it easy to wash and care for. A t shirt with stretch in a fabric like Tencel or Modal will keep its shape and drape beautifully.  I used to select party shoes just for their looks but after suffering through many parties in pain, I've changed my way of thinking.  I now own a few pairs that look great but feel great as well. I even own a pair of party shoes that are flats. Statement Necklaces can be found in every price point.  Check out discount retailers like Target and Kohl's for amazing bargains.  A satin or dressy maxi skirt can be your go to for many fancy events and parties.  I've worn my to fundraising dinners as well as evening weddings.  It's a simple palette that can be dressed up or down. In searching the web I found them in every color (mine is black) at bridal retailers for less than $50!

I mix and match my tuxedo jacket with jeans, skinny pants, and skirts.  I've worn the skirt with a white dress shirt, t shirt, chiffon blouse and more.  Pairing them with a statement necklace, stand out shoes and a fun bag can take these basic staples to the next level.

Many celebs have mastered the art of amazing party outfits.  My favorites are those that mix the fancy with the simple. Here are a few of my favorites.

Sharon Stone in her GAP t shirt
at the 1996 Academy Awards

Sharon Stone wearing
her husband's white dress shirt and a Vera Wang skirt
at the 1998 Academy Awards 

Olivia Palermo wearing a tuxedo jacket, flats and cigarette pants

Basic go to pieces are the key for me when dressing for parties.  It takes the stress out of deciding what to wear or buying a new outfit every time.  New outfits are fun but my budget doesn't always allow for that extra purchase, especially during the holidays.

Tuxedo Jacket, $10 Sequin Skirt, Bargain Stand Out Shoes (Details Here)

T Shirt and Statement Necklace
(also wearing my satin maxi skirt, not pictured)

What's your go to party ensemble?