December Theme Weeks Continue...

I am super excited to continue my theme weeks for the month. I had some really great suggestions on what I should blog about and I thank you! This week I am going to look at the world of COLOR! And when I say color, I'm really focusing on the trend of brights! At first I was very intimated by them, but I've decided that I can't grow as a fashionista if I'm not willing to test the waters! Stay tuned this week to see what I have in store! Like the carol says, "All is merry and bright"!

For the week of December 19th, I'm going to explore the world of sequins! In the spirit of the holidays, I decided to shine! Yet another trend that I'm a little timid to try, however I certainly have enough to get me through the work week! I'm really excited to tackle this one!

And speaking of tackling, I'm going to try and make the week of December 26th an amazing end to 2011! I have been asked to create looks for New Year's Eve that could be/would be worn in different cities around the country and one famous fashion city over seas! I have to say, this one is going to be a HUGE challenge! I'm looking at New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Paris. Haven't a clue what anyone would wear, especially me! I really need to start scouring that closet!

Kick Off to the Holidays

T-Neck: French Connection via Rue La La; Pants: Talbots;

Shoes: Ann Taylor (gift); Necklace: Kate Spade via Gilt

Saturday night was the official kick off to the holiday season! We hosted our first holiday party of 2011 and to honor both our religions, we dubbed it "McKinley's First Holiday Party". We served both traditional Christmas and Jewish flare, however we weren't 100% kosher! We served brisket, latkes and plenty of gooey treats! And as always, we served up a signature cocktail, the Candy Cane Cocktail! A tradition that's been served for the past five years or so. Yummy goodness in a glass!

Okay, enough about the party, let's move on to the look! I've been wanting a pair of satin pants for several seasons now and finally found the perfect pair! I love the fit, a cigarette pant that's not too tight, and I love that their ankle length. Great for showing off "holiday" shoes! The necklace is what I based the whole look around. I wanted a neutral canvas to let it shine and I think that was definitely achieved!

Our first family holiday party!

 

A fun way to "do" your nails without the dry time and pricey manicure! Sally Hansen's Nail Effects are awesome!

 

The Week in Review

This week I tackled four stylish female celebrities by recreating their looks directly from my closet. As I mentioned on Monday, I didn't purchase a single item to complete this task. I feel really good about the looks I pulled together! However, I have been told by several readers that I have entirely too many clothes if I was able to recreate all four of these looks. I beg to differ. If you look closely, you've seen every single one of these pieces since I started blogging and some on more than several occasions. I think because I have a closet heavy in staples, that allowed me to start with each concept and add accessories to finish them off. 

Take a look at some of the items I used this week and how I've styled them over the years.

Gwen Stefani:

The dress I wore a couple of times during my pregnancy. And that leather jacket! This was one of the best investment pieces I've made! 

      

 Gwyneth Paltrow:

You've seen the blazer twice week, back to back to be honest, and the dress has been styled several times as well. The booties have been worn once this season and will be a staple come winter.

 

Sarah Jessica Parker:

The jacket was worn with the Gwyneth sheath dress, and to be honest, I wear it more times than it's photographed. The scarf is a great accessory because animal print never goes out of style. And seen below that scarf is worn with that blazer!

 

Reese Witherspoon:

Let's be honest, you've seen every one of these pieces too many times to count. That jacket alone is worn all the time! Skinny jeans are a staple for me and that t-neck has been worn four times in less than a month!

    

Next week I continue to keep my theme month going, however I haven't quite decided on what to focus on. Any suggestion?

Reese Witherspoon - Styled My Way

I am rounding out the week of Female Celebrity's with Reese Witherspoon. Reese is the All American Girl. Flowing blonde hair, crystal blue eyes and a super laid back style. She, like SJP, can either be really casual or really dressy. This time I deciced to go casual. I appreciate that Style Bakery provided a styling guide, but I didn't refer to it when styling myself. Below is my intrepretation of Reese's laid back look.

Jacket: Banana Republic; T-Neck: Lands End;

Jeans: Ann Taylor Loft; Boots: Steven by Steve Madden (gift)

Necklace: JewelMint; Earrings: Tori Spelling via HSN;

Bracelet: Ralph Lauren via Macy's

Photo of Reese Witherspoon courtesy of Style Bakery.

Sarah Jessica Parker - Styled My Way

So this was the look I decided to try when researching Sarah Jessica Parker. She is either very casual in her everyday life, too casual for work, or she is incredibly dressy which isn't work appropriate either. As Goldie Locks would say, this look was just right! I had to take some liberties when styling my version. My skinnies are just a tad too tight, and the maternity ones I thought about trying were already in storage. I decided on cropped pants that narrow at the ankle. Below is my look.

T-Neck: Ann Taylor; Jacket: Ann Taylor Loft;

Pants: JCrew; Shoes: Jessica Simpson; Scarf: Ann Taylor

Earrings: Silpada

Photo of Sarah Jessica Parker courtesy of The Purse Forum.

Gwyneth Paltrow - Styled My Way

 

Yesterday I took on the stylings of Gwyneth Paltrow.Gwyneth is edgy without being over-the-top, trendy while staying classic and always a minimalist.Below is my twist on classic Gwyneth.

 Dress: Calvin Klein via Rue La La; Jacket: Ann Taylor Loft;

Tights: Hue; Booties: Aquatalia (gift); Jewelry: Silpada

 

Photo of Gwyneth Paltrow courtesy of Style Hive.