LEATHER & LIP GLOSS

Sometimes when I am shopping, I see pieces and I wonder what exactly they are. Like, is this a shirt or a dress? Do you wear this as a top or a skirt? That is what happened to me recently when I found this cute flower piece. Wear it on its own, and it's a dress. Add some jeans or leggings, and it becomes a top. I guess sometimes there is no "right" way to wear a fabulous find. Sometimes, you just make it your own.       I chose to wear this piece with some light wash denim skinny jeans. I completed the look with a pair of shiny black heels and a neon pink handbag. Flower Top/Dress: Plato's Closet | Jeans: Ross   Shoes: Fergalicious | Bag: Target How would you wear this piece? 

One of my favorite trends right now is mixing dressy pieces with more casual pieces. And I love this look on Keri Russell. A comfy white tee (casual) + a leopard print pencil skirt (dressy) makes a fun and trendy ensemble that you can wear as an everyday look, or for a night out. This is a great day to night transitional outfit. She is wearing some pointy toed heels, but you can dress the look down by choosing ballet flats instead. Photo: Mirrorplex/Splash News  Of course, Keri's pieces total close to $1,500, but you can create this look and make it your own for under $100 by shopping these similar pieces!

Summer is usually a time for bright colors and vivid prints & patterns. But sometimes it is ok to bring a little spring into your summer. I chose to do that for this look, by wearing an Easter-esque color palette consisting of soft pink jeans and a light aqua colored peplum top.      I love the zipper on the back of the top! I had a circle shaped sparkly aqua necklace that I wore.  For shoes, I went with a tall wedge sandal in caramel brown. Aqua peplum tank, Express | Pink jeans, Plato's Closet  Make this look your own by shopping these similar pieces:

Summer is a popular time for weddings. But for many people, spending money on something to wear to a wedding is not a priority. Sometimes our budget is tight and we just can’t splurge on a new ensemble. This is when it is time to get creative with existing pieces from your closet. You can actually create a wedding appropriate look by simply adding accessories. Here are a few ways to do that. For the ladies... Take It To The Max I love maxi dresses. They are so comfortable and versatile. And of course in the summer, they are great for those days when we didn’t have time to shave our legs. So if you want to wear that cute maxi to the next wedding on your agenda, you can! Add some elegant jewelry or a nice watch, lighten your load with an evening style clutch and put on some dressy heels. The nice thing about summer is that you don’t have to wear a jacket and your heels can easily come off so you can hit the dance floor! Light a Short Fuse There are lots of differe...

How was your 4th of July? Did you sport an awesome red, white & blue look? I had two of the three colors down- and chose to substitute the blue with black. I found this fun fringe tank at a local boutique and knew it would be the perfect piece to wear on July 4th. I also found these cute black & white striped shorts and paired the two together for a look that I am calling "patriotic pirate." Don't you get a feeling I should walk the plank when you see this ensemble? I wore some dangly circular gold earrings, a gold bangle and a circular style necklace to add some bling to the look and give it some feminine details. I threw a solid red tank under the anchor tank for an extra pop of color and to add a fun layer. This tank is also great for practicing your dance moves. Arrrgh!   Red tank top, Target | Anchor fringe tank, Threadzz Boutique B & W striped shorts, Target | Gold bangle bracelet, Day2Night

There is something about cabins that gives me a warm and cozy feeling. Even in the middle of summer, I want to curl up on the couch and drink a cup of hot chocolate. But on a recent trip to a cabin at Lake Arrowhead, I took time to get outside and admire the beautiful views. Here is what I wore for a day around town. I am calling this look "comfy cabin chic." I put on a simple, comfortable royal blue dress and topped it with a nude colored belt.   I added some royal blue jewelry with a bit of sparkle.         I topped off the look with some nude colored sandals and the best accessory you can wear...a smile! Royal blue dress from Apt. 9 (Kohl's) | Nude floral belt (Maurice's) | Necklace & earrings set (Charming Charlie) | Nude heel sandals from Nine West (Off Broadway Shoes) Make this look your own by shopping these similar pieces!

As someone with thick, often oily hair that rarely stays styled for more than 5 minutes, I was excited to receive the HSI Professional Leave-In Treatment to review. I am usually skeptical of products that claim to be miracle workers, but I tried the Leave-In Treatment with an open mind. You simply drip a small amount of the treatment into your hand and work through your hair, root to tip. It is intended to give your hair a shiny, smooth feeling and help with frizz. As a new mom, my hair is usually pulled up and un-styled, so I feared that would affect my ability to review the product well. However, just two nights ago I discovered the magic of this product. I had been using it when my hair is damp before blow drying, but two nights ago I forgot to use the product. Well, as I went to run my fingers through my hair post blow drying, something felt different. My hair was not as silky and soft as it had been in the previous nights- the nights I was using the HSI Professional. All I...

Do you ever stumble across something totally awesome and wish you'd thought of it first? That happened to me today. Check out this amazing "how-to" for turning your scarves into vests, shawls and swim cover ups! Genius! Need pieces to try this look? Shop scarves here!

The best way to round out any month is with shopping deals, steals, giveaways and awesome new products! So check out today's FASHtastic Finds before you start celebrating July. Nashville fashion blogger COSMICaroline has partnered with Miriam Designs to host a giveaway where you can win a fun pendant necklace. Check out all of the details here .  Contest runs for 7 days. Madison Street Beauty is having a 60% off sale. Enter code SUMMERSALE .  All Leather & Lip Gloss fans enjoy 20% off anytime by entering code MSB11 .   I stumbled across Dani.K Jeans Sandals last year, before they were officially launched. They are totally unique sandals made from jeans, and are now available on Amazon by clicking here . Majestical Jewelry is having a big summer sale with items up to 70% off. Shop the sale here .

Ahh...summer. The time for barbeques, water sports and vacations. I was recently boating on the lake in Big Bear and took advantage of the gorgeous scenery for this outfit post. Here is how I do a "summer on the lake" look while boating. I wore my halter style monokini and threw a long green maxi dress over it. I made sure to wear some comfortable metallic flip flops and a sun hat. I topped off the look with some dangly gold earrings- and voila! That is how you do an easy, stylish "summer on the lake" look while boating. Maxi dress (old): Ross | Floppy sun hat (old): local sporting goods store | Flip flops (old): Kohl's | Gold dangly earrings (old): gift from a friend Create this look by shopping these similar products: