I Woke Up In Venice...

Hey Guys! I know it has been a while since my last post but something tremendous has changed in my life and I am finally able to share it with you. I know it’s a long post, but I promise it is worth the read.

I woke up in Venice not knowing that my entire life was about to change. I was on one of my typical European trips with Cédric. First we would see his family in France, then we would explore a new country. It is an exciting ritual of ours because we both love to travel. He on one hand can physically handle the time changes and the vast variety of food. I on the other hand, always think I can handle traveling, but I'm asleep for half of the trip and nauseous for the other half. But that doesn’t stop me for our next voyage, it just slows me down a little. This time our travels took us to Venice, Italy. I have been to Italy many times before, but I have never went to Venice. It really was like a dream. Everything about the city told a story. Among the architecture, the canals, and the secret pathways, I felt the magic in the air, and it was just breathtaking.   

It was our second morning here and as I opened my eyes I see red fabric all around me. Oh yea, I forgot to mention, when we travel Cédric loves to choose hotels that makes him feel like we are part of the culture. In this case he felt the need to be in the baroque era. Waking up to red tapestry, red wallpaper and red blankets may have been a little too much. It actually felt more like a horror movie than anything else, but what do I know? Room service comes knocking on the door and Cédric jumps up to get the door. He put the tray right on the bed, giving me no chance to fall back to sleep. As we finish our breakfast of stale pastries and burnt coffee, he suggests we wear something special today since we are in the most romantic place on earth. Also, he thought this was a great day for me to blog. I love fashion and I love showing women how to wear inexpensive clothes. So it only made sense for me to blog about what I love the most. If I can even help one woman, I would be so very happy. Once he mentioned that, I immediately jumped up and started to think about the best outfit on a cold day of walking around a city of cobblestone. 

I layered a light blue button down collared long sleeve shirt from Zara with a dark blue Gap cable knit sweater on top. I had this great black suede front button skirt that would go perfectly. It was too cold for my legs to be bare so I put on black opaque tights. I just bought these 2 inch black leather Coach booties. They were so cute and easy to walk in. They also gave an edgy look to my preppy outfit so it were perfect. I waved my hair to add volume and femininity to my look.

We were off for our day of fun! Cédric loves to go sightseeing, but for some reason today he just kept walking us around in circles. I honestly didn’t think much about it so I just followed; thinking about our next stop, food. Plus, we had to be at the gondola ride at 3:45pm, so that was my main concern. After a lot of walking, we finally stopped for pizza at this adorable hidden nook in the middle of the city. I noticed Cédric was not eating, which was very strange for him, but again I thought nothing of it. After eating we headed to the gondola. As we were walking I spotted gondola rides everywhere but NO, we had to go to the place that he booked online. So once again, I followed.

When we arrived, he immediately noticed a woman and shouted her name, Linda! I looked at him in disbelief and asked him how he knew a random woman by the name of Linda?!?!? Apparently he booked the ride through her. okkkkkkk…….. so we go on our ride and of course it was beautiful, and crooked. Fyi, if you go on a gondola, you will be tilted the entire time, but I still loved it.

Anyway, at the end of the ride we pull into the garage version of the canal, and stopped at a building. I felt like I was in the movie, The Italian Job. As I stepped out of the gondola, guess who I see???? Yes, Linda! At this point I am completely confused, but knowing Cédric, it mean’t nothing. He Looks over and says, “I didn’t tell you? We are going to a fashion museum and Linda will be our tour guide”. As we walk into the building, Linda asked us to wait outside in the “Secret Garden” because they were really busy. Hahahaha!!! No one was in the building. By now I thought I was just going crazy but I went along with it. So, we go outside and there is this beautiful green garden overlooking the grand canal. I mean, there was really nothing better than this. And we had this whole place to ourselves. How lucky are we???

I start looking at the water. All of a sudden I hear music from a violin. I turn around and see a violinist walking towards me with a photographer. WHAT IS GOING ON?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?! The entire world just stopped for a moment. I look at Cédric… he gets down on one knee and proposed!! It was truly the most amazing thing in the entire world. My best friend wants to spend the rest of his life with me! Oh, did I mention, he rented out the garden, brought my favorite pink champagne and food for me just in case I was hungry…. that is not very shocking. Rule #1 always feed me! By the way, Linda was the planner he hired. Oh Linda lol

So this is great right? I found the person I want to annoy for the rest of my life and he gave me a fairytale proposal. My life is perfect….. Then I look at him and say, “Now you get to meet my 65 first cousins”. Sorry, did I mention I’m Albanian? This is where the real fun begins.

Tip of The Day: Take a risk and go on a great adventure. You never know where it may lead you. And don't forget to wear a great outfit!

C'est la vie

The Perfect Outfit For A Fall Baby Shower

When I think of baby showers, pastels directly come to mind. And for some reason, every baby shower I have ever attended was either in the Spring or Summer. Typically I would wear floral with soft colors, and I'm out the door. So, when I was invited to a baby shower this month, I was a little confused with what I should wear. And wearing light pink in October just felt wrong. Oh and I forgot to mention the best part... the baby shower was in MIAMI #500,000degrees!

So let's break this down. I was about to go to a baby shower in the month of October, in the City of Miami, which was extremely hot!?!?!?!? I must have stood in front of my closet for a good hour, trying to figure out what was the most appropriate outfit.

Baby Showers can be very tricky events. This is a time when a close friend, family member, etc... is celebrating the most precious time in their life. Meaning, it is not okay to walk in with a short little tight dress and some platforms. It is also a little strange to wear black; which eliminates the majority of every girl's closet. I do see girls in jeans...... but depending on the location and how elevated the party is, I just wouldn't feel comfortable.

Now that I subtracted 3 major categories, what is left to wear? Because this is a baby shower, I always like to have fun with my outfit and definitely look feminine. And I never want to outshine the Mom. It's her day, not mine :) My version of fun is usually a print. And since it is Fall, autumn colors would be ideal.

This brings me to the perfect outfit for a fall baby shower. First off all, I really love 2pc sets. They are effortless and really make a statement. Furthermore, you can mix and match the pieces to make other outfits!! This particular set is from H&M. On top of that, the color scheme of my outfit was perfect for this season. And, as I mentioned above, prints are a great way to show your personality. Now when it comes to my shoes, although I am in Miami and dying of the heat, I couldn't help but wear these great Boston Proper booties. It is very important to be in sync with the season, from head to toe.

Tip of The Day: Invest in a 2pc set. It is always a great outfit when you are out of ideas. Plus, you will definitely stand out!

C'est la vie

The Lazy Girl's Weekend Style Guide

This post is dedicated to every girl who works so hard all week while still looking her very best... until the weekend comes. 

During the week I love wearing cute outfits and heels to work, until about Thursday. But once the weekend arrives, all I want to do is wear my gym clothes and feel comfortable. However, I really don't feel that pretty when I run errands, go to lunch with friends, etc... Now that is just my outfit. When it comes to my hair or putting makeup on, OMG that is a whole other story. I am lucky if I put concealer on and brush my hair.

Let's take minute and talk about the girls that always look put together no matter what. I am talking about at the gym, grocery stores, disney world for goodness sakes, you name it. I really don't know how girls look good all the time, and I truly applaud them! I wish I could do it, but not only do I have no time to always look good, I have no energy by the weekend, and let's be real, I get LAZY. Don't pretend you have no idea what I am talking about, it can be a lot of work to be us. Why do you think life is so much easier for guys??? They could never do the amount of work we do... different conversation, moving on.

So, throughout my entire life, I tried to figure out a way to "fake it, till I make it".  I will be honest ladies, it has been incredibly difficult. 

Fortunately, we are finally at a time where it is trendy to wear sneakers, and loose clothing. Which means I am going to give you girls a quick style guide to looking cute on the weekends while still accomplishing our goal of being lazy!

Here we go:

1.  Who wants to take the time to wash and blow dry their hair on a Saturday morning when they have a million other things to do? Not me, so throw your hair up in a ponytail. 

2. Makeup? Put some concealer and mascara on to open your eyes. When you still look exhausted, that's what sunglasses are for! Don't forget some lip gloss.(I like Mac lip gloss with a tinted color)

3. Personally, I don't like to wear jeans if I don't have to. They can be too tight and when I am having a fat day, jeans are the last thing I want to wear. Now, I know a lot of girls who really love jeans, so again I applaud those girls and carry on. For the girls like me, H&M and Zara have great loose knit dresses that are very inexpensive. Please invest in a few!

4. As I mentioned earlier, sneakers are so cute, pair your outfit with Stan Smith's, Converse, or whatever works for you.

5. Add some accessories such as multiple bracelets or fun necklaces. But don't over do it!

6. Layering is always a good idea. Leather or jean jackets can always be your go-to. Invest in both if possible

Just by following these 6 steps, you are still comfortable and a bit stylish, if I may say so myself.  

Tip of The Day: You can wear these knit dresses in various ways. Scarves are super cute, so buy a few printed scarves and wear it with them. Trust me, just by adding a scarf, you enhanced your lazy outfit and you now have style!

My outfit is the other approach. I am wearing a jean jacket from Express, a gold elephant necklace from Anne Taylor (my favorite necklace), a grey knit dress from Zara, Ray Ban sunglasses and Converse kicks. 

I hope this helps you during your weekend. It definitely helped me for my shopping day!!!

Let's hear what you think. Please Feel free to comment.

C'est la vie

The Secret to Wearing Oxfords

When Oxfords first became trendy, I could not adapt to them at all. They were just too masculine for me and I couldn't see past that. To be honest, I do not always like every trend. Just because a new accessory, shoe, or whatever, is the new biggest thing, doesn't mean it fits my personality. I am a firm believer of wearing what fits into your style, not the other way around. But when it came to the oxford, I just found them to be so interesting and powerful. When I would see a woman walk down the street in these shoes, I would automatically have a sense of respect for her. I think the subtle masculinity of the shoe really brings confidence to the outfit. 

But, I still couldn't wear it. Now that I think of it, maybe it was my way of gaining the confidence to "own" my outfit. And honestly, it took me a few a years to finally figure it out. But I did it, I figured out the secret to fitting the oxfords into by style. Now, I absolutely love them! 

So here is my secret. I definitely have a feminine style, and the oxford is masculine. Hence, the difficulty in personalizing this trend. Obviously the answer was in front of my face the entire time; combine styles. So, I added a touch of masculinity to my feminine style! Bam!!

My Oxfords are from Nordstrom. I really love this shade of taupe because it is so diverse and can go with so many outfits. My dress is from Zara. It is so comfortable and has a really fresh look. My houndstooth envelope purse is from Mango. Feel free to mix fabrics and textures. As you can see, each item has a different texture.

Tip of The Day: If you are scared to try a new trend, find a way to incorporate it into your own style, like I did. You don't have to wear it like everyone else, and you shouldn't. Own your look!

C'est la vie

Wearing White After Labor Day

Ever since I was a little girl, I was always told to never wear white after labor day. And honestly, I never asked why, until recently. So I posed the question... Why can't we wear white after labor day?!?!?! Of course, no one could answer, so I looked it up online and it is actually very interesting. There are different explanations which all lead to wealth vs. poverty. For example, white clothes were generally made from fabrics that helped you sweat less. If you wore these fabrics, then it meant you were wealthy. This was one of the more logical reasons. Please, do a little research and read some of the other stories. They are hilarious!

Now that I think of it, we have been following this rule since the late 1800's (Mind Blowing)! That is so unfortunate, and I will tell you why. White, which is actually an achromatic color (color without a hue), automatically puts you in a good mood. It makes you feel like you are going on vacation and it has a a fresh youthful look to it. At least that is how I view it. Regardless of the time of year, there are  days when I not only want to wear white, I need it to brighten up my day; or even express how good I feel. Now that I have made myself clear about the color white, let me add one more thing... Remember my previous post, "The Rules Are, There Are No Rules"? Well, white falls under this category. If you feel good in your outfit, WEAR IT!!

So, in honor of labor day, you guessed it,  I wore a white skirt. And, just to defy this ridiculous rule that prevents fashion lovers to wear what they want, my next post will also be a white outfit.

Let's take a minute and breakdown my outfit. My top is from H&M. I know what you are thinking, it is so loose in the middle and can't look good on everyone... On the contrary, if you wear it correctly, it will look great! Instead of a skirt, you might want to wear it with fitted white jeans to create a balance. My outfit is a little more risky, I agree. My skirt is an oldie but goodie, and my espadrilles are from Aldo. I love these shoes because they have a very subtle snake print on the back. I added a pearl necklace as the cherry on top. I was in a very feminine mood, and nothing says girly, like pearls.  I like to double up on necklaces, hence my shorter gold necklace from Swarovski (thanks to my big sis). Super easy right? well all of these items can be paired differently, creating several outfits. Please let me know if you need suggestions.

Tip of The Day: Pearls look great at any age. Don't be shy, they only add class to your outfit. Try an opera length, like mine. You can wear it as shown in the image or for a more sophisticated look, wrap it around your neck for a double strand look. (don't worry, pearls will definitely be in future posts)

C'est la vie

Ode To Basquiat...

I am not actually going to sing to you, but I am going to praise the works of Basquiat! This week I went to the Pérez Museum in Miami to see the Basquiat exhibit. If you live in Miami you have to see it, and if you don't, well I am sorry because you are missing out on a true genius. 

For those of you who are not familiar with him, Jean-Michel Basquiat began as a graffiti artist from the streets of Brooklyn, and through time became Andy Warhol's protégé. He was well known for utilizing words in his art as a weapon against poverty and racism; fighting for a cause.

Walking through the exhibit, I felt so many emotions. His work was way ahead of his time and he had so much to say. You can see his strength through his paintings. On the other hand, he battled with drugs and died from a heroine overdose. Reading his notebooks, you can feel the sadness, or at least I can. But his power overcomes this through the voice of his internal battle...

What other way to celebrate art than wearing it! So, I decided to buy a t-shirt with one of his masterpieces on it and wore it to work. Fortunately, I work in fashion so I can be creative with my outfits. But honestly, this was quite simple and anyone can do it. I paired this shirt with a black pencil skirt and black pumps. I accessorized with a metal chain necklace. Notice how I toned down my outfit by wearing all black on the bottom. If you want to go one step further, just to feel more comfortable at work, wear a blazer over it. 

Obviously I could have gone the more predictable way by wearing this funky shirt with ripped jeans, fun heels and red lipstick... but lets face it, we spend the majority of our time at work. So, we should try to spice it up!

Tip of the Day: Have Fun with your closet. Even if you work in a corporate environment, always wear something that is "YOU". 

C'est la vie

The Rules Are, There Are No Rules

If you know me at all, then you must know that color will always be a topic of conversation. I bore people day in and out about the importance of color and what works with their skin tone. Again, boring for you but so much fun for me! I am going to let you in on a little secret... although color is very important on top, there are no rules when wearing color as a bottom. Woop Woop!  I love loop holes. Please note, if for some reason you do find a rule, throw it out the window... thanks!

Okay, so lets take a scary color like orange. I personally love orange; it is so vibrant and full of life. Orange also happens to be a good color on my warm skin tone; sorry, not sorry. Unfortunately, cool skin tones tend to look washed out when wearing orange on top. This is just one reason why many people are scared of this color, and I don't blame you. But you don't have to be scared anymore.

Here is just one way to wear it. I paired a fun orange skirt from Zara, pockets included (because who doesn't love pockets??), with a simple white crop top and a turquoise necklace. Just to add a little more flavor, I wore my favorite Stan Smiths. Today was a more casual day, but if I were going to brunch or a daytime event, I would either wear this outfit with nude wedges or a nude pointy toe pump. 

Tip of the Day: Pointy toe pumps make your legs look longer... wedges have the opposite affect. If you need help deciding, feel free to post a comment.

Whatever you do, remember to always have fun in orange!

C'est la vie