Holiday Giveaway! It was a Black Tie affair

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It's not everyday that you get invited to such an honorable charity event. And this was something super close to our hearts. It's a charity that helps fight Aids and saves lives, called Acria. My husband has been on the board of this charity for a few years now and when we were invited to the annual holiday dinner Honoring The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, Judith Light, and Casey Fremont at the Armory in NYC. My mind immediately wondered what I was going to wear. It was a black tie event and I knew I'd need something amazing. 

From the first fitting to the actual event!

We reached out to our friend, Jason Wu, who also happens to be on the board of Acria. He was happy to dress me in something super chic and I was honored. I was invited to visit his showroom and try on dresses. It was a girls dream. I arrived to find an entire fitting room full of the most beautify designed and constructed gowns. Let's just say I didn't have any problems finding something I loved. But I knew it from the moment I slipped it on that this was the one! 

But then, when it came to accessories, I had to match the equally beautiful gown with something pretty spectacular. That is when my friends at Cleo NYC, a merchandiser for Chloe and Isabel, reached out to help style my look. I just loved the gorgeous and super on-trend sparkle choker and matching bracelet. This set is perfect for a holiday party, gift for a loved one or stylish enough to dress up an everyday type look. Enter below to win the same look that I wore to the event!

Shop more of these amazing looks and sales up to 40% off right now at JasonWuStudio.com and Buy 2 get 1 free at Chloe&Isabel.com. To find out more about Acria and their work, contact them https://www.acria.org/contact/

Looks for Less!

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Create the looks of the season using pieces from your own closet!

You probably have a few pairs of jeans & a tee-shirt or two in your closet that you never wear! Well let's recreate them into something super chic and stylish! Why let them go to waste?

I recently scoured the web for a relatively inexpensive pair of the latest jeans with the uneven & frayed hem. I did't find anything I loved and decided this is a look I can make myself. And here are the easy steps so you can too! 

What you'll need:

  1. Sharp scissors that will cut fabric
  2. Seam ripper or pointy scissors (like nail scissors)
  3. Iron

Here are the steps you will take:

  1. Rip the hem seam open with the seam ripper or nail scissors
  2. Iron the hem flat. If the hem doesn't lay flat, you can try dampening the hem and then iron.
  3. Using your sharp/fabric scissors cut the front of the hem about an inch up along the side-seams. Make sure you leave the back of the pants longer. 
  4. Fray the cut edges to create the look we are all lusting over right now!
  5. Then, add holes or distressing to the pant legs as desired. (My jeans already had some holes & distressing but I cut open one of the holes and made it much bigger to emulate the look of the jeans I wanted!) 
  6. Tip - YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD MORE HOLES BUT YOU CAN NEVER TAKE AWAY HOLES. So keep trying the jeans on and making sure you like what you are doing before you do it. But let loose and have fun! Remember, you never wore these jeans anyway, they've been just sitting in your closet collecting dust.
  7. Finally, WASH the jeans. This will help make all the edges look more worn and help them fray more.  

For the shirt, I used an old white tee shirt I bought for the summer but it wasn't the best fit and I rarely wore it. I've been lusting after the distressed white tee for a while now. I have one that I wear to workout but it's a little dingy looking now and I didn't want to invest in a new one.

So take your seam ripper and scissors and get to work!

  1. First, start with distressing the seams & hems of the sleeves and bottom of the tee. Cut small slits in them and small holes.
  2. Then take your seam ripper or nail scissors and create holes along the neckline and above the hem.
  3. Make small holes with seam ripper or nail scissors on the body of the shirt. Space the holes around unevenly on the front and back of the tee. *You can create the small holes by just pulling up on a couple of thread and cutting them... These aren't large holes; mostly small little nicks and cuts. Make them different sizes to create your desired look.
  4. Finally, I cut the side-seam to open up the hem of the shirt. I never liked how it sat on my hips so the was my chance to make it what I liked! 
  5. This is something you can wear all season long!!

Here is how to tie the look all together!

Get the rest of this look!
Sam Edelman Shoes, Nasty Gal Choker

By the way! Try an old college tee or black jeans.. this look with work on any of them! Just use my pictures as inspiration and have fun!

Affordable Fall Staples

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I've been on the hunt for chic and comfy fall fashions that won't put a dent in your wallet. Here's an amazing outfit I picked up for tonight's mom's night out (that got cancelled BUMMER!!) But I'm offering up the details for all of you. Stay tuned for more of my affordable outfit ideas on the blog! 

BTW These faux leather leggings are so flattering and comfortable you can EAT whatever you'd like at your dinner date and they still look just as amazing. So go for it & enjoy!

Top Knots and Chokers

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Get this look

Dress Diane Von Furstenburg , Necklace Nasty Gal

Tired from a long day? Too exhausted to socialize? This was me for a long time. But recently I decided it was important for me to make more of an effort to be there for my friends. Friends I've had for years but haven't seen and for building new relationships with new moms. But getting ready to go out can be so exhausting and makes canceling look very appealing. Well, I've tried out some new trends that are all the rage and I've used them to my advance for making this tired mom look ready for a night out!

I started out by picking a pretty aqua off the shoulder dress from last summer when I  was pregnant (its not maternity but its flowy and comfy)...  Stick to something you know you'll feel good in. Then all you have to do it snaz it up!

1. Top Knot - My hair was a MESS and I really had no time to shower and wash/dry/style so I threw it up in to a top knot. This look is super stylish right now. And totally works for the tired mom. It takes just second and works for any hair type. 

* Start with a high pony tail on the top of your head. Then instead of twisting the hair into a bun, you just start to wrap the pony tail around itself. Secure the wrapped hair with a neutral colored hair tie or bobbie pins. I also like to pull out a couple pieces around my ears to look a little messy.

2. Choker - Then I paired this look with a gold choker necklace I recently bought on Nasty Gal.  A necklace always looks great when the hair is pulled back. And chokers are super stylist at the moment. But try sticking to something that is simple, sleek and sophisticated. And doesn't look like you are trying too hard. 

This look took me about 5 min to pull off. And made it look like I took forever getting ready.

Try this on your next night out!