Think Outside The Box

I am a beauty junkie and with that comes a love for beauty product samples. There is something about the small packaging and the promise that this product may just be the best you have ever tried and if it isn’t you aren’t out the money of buying and trying full-size products. My friend and fellow blogger Allyson In Wonderland introduced me to an amazing new beauty website called Birchbox on her blog.

I was intrigued by a company that offers you a monthly subscription that happily deposits a box full of beauty samples into your mailbox. It’s pretty simple, for $10 a month you receive deluxe beauty samples that allow you to try top beauty products and if you like the samples you can order the real deal on their website (plus they usually give you a discount if you buy the full-size of one of the samples they sent you). It’s a brilliant concept and well worth subscribing to; I got my first box last week and it was full of great samples that I immediately put to the test; now if only I had thought of it!

PS I was in no way compensated for this post. It’s just a product I love and wanted to share with you all!

Just A Little Smile

I have maintained for a long time that a sense of humor is essential if you are going to own, ride and show horses. It makes the tough days between the glorious (win) days tolerable. There is nothing like a good smile or deep laugh to keep you trucking.

Today’s laugh came in the form of a website called Equestrian Ryan Gosling. It is beyond hilarious and fuels my silly crush on Ryan Gosling (sorry honey) by featuring pictures of Ryan Gosling with horsey sayings. I don’t know who created the site but it is pure genius. You can check it out by clicking here: Equestrian Ryan Gosling.

Images from Equestrian Ryan Gosling.

Addicted – Pinterest

My newest addiction comes in the form of Pinterest. I can’t stop pinning!!!! If you are not familiar with Pinterest, it’s an online bulletin board where you can “pin” pictures from the internet onto your own inspiration boards as well as view other people’s pins and boards. It’s a great source of fashion and home style inspiration as well as full of delicious recipes. It’s the modern version of tearing out a picture from a magazine and putting it in a inspiration notebook. And did I mention super addictive!

PS: If you are already on Pinterest you can follow me here: http://pinterest.com/clotheshorseok/

 

Five For Five – Fossil

My mailbox is filling up fast and furious with holiday catalogs and I have a duty to flip through each one. It reminds me of when I was a kid and my brother and I would fight over the huge Sears toy catalog and return it to my mom with dozens of dog-eared pages in hopes she would pass the hint on to Santa. Now, I still dog-ear pages but instead pass them on to my husband in hopes of helping him with his holiday shopping. One such catalog that is is now worse for the wear is the current Fossil catalog. It is full of casual, cozy, rustic-chic pieces that will pair easily with jeans and tees. Great everyday wear that will guide you through the day in laid-back style. Here is the link to the online version of the catalog and each piece is available for purchase online at Fossil.com.

My five favorite pieces:

Better start with the shoes, my achilles heel. Seriously love these rustic boots, can’t you just see them worn with skinny dark jeans and a cozy, chunky marshmallow-colored sweater curled up by a roaring fire sipping hot chocolate.

This charcoal flannel bootie will dress up jeans and tees while running errands as well as look great paired with dark tights and a sweater dress. I love the vintage silhouette, turned up toes and stacked wooden heel.

Ahh The Mackenzie… the perfect cozy, grandpa-inspired chunky cable knit cardy. What else is there to say? A true must-have that you will reach for time and time again. Go ahead buy it in all colors, you will thank yourself later.

The Cameron Jacket is an absolute must-have barn piece, a puffer vest/jacket hybrid that comes off looking feminine and fashionable (two words not usually associated with a puffer vest). Layer over a long turtleneck or striped tee with jeans and boots. It will help keep you warm during changing fall weather.

The piece de resistance! Channel Amelia Earhart with this leather and shearling aviation inspired jacket in crisp, snow white. Rich leather and warm shearling is the perfect combination to combat a chilly day.

Be Your Own Designer

Move over Jimmy Choo, there is a new shoe designer in town and it’s you! Thanks to the website www.shoesofprey.com you can become a designing shoe visionary and custom create your own pair of shoes.

You start out by choosing one of seven basic styles and then the fun begins as you toy with different heel styles and heights, fabrics, leathers, colors and trims. The possibilities are endless and when you’ve found the perfect combo your custom designed shoes will arrive in 5-6 weeks. Prices range from $180-$330. All good, clean fun!

 

 

Denim Digs

If denim is the mainstay of your wardrobe then you will be thrilled to see Net-A-Porter’s new online denim boutique. It is well stocked with great denim and well organized by size, fit, body type and style. They also have great editorial about denim that includes a fit guide by body style (boyish, long legs, petite, hourglass and curvy) that suggests styles to try as well as a section on how to care for your denim once you have found the perfect pair.

But what makes this denim boutique stand out from other online shops, is it’s measuring guide that tells you exactly how to measure yourself to find the right size and when you click on each pair of jeans you can click on it’s very thorough measurements and compare them to yours to see which size will fit you the best. You can also compare the measurements to those from your favorite pair of jeans. Jean shopping made simple! Available at www.net-a-porter.com.

Cheap Thrill

I am lucky to have a group of fashionable and computer savvy friends who e-mail me their favorite fashion finds, articles and websites. It is thanks to them I have found many great fashion must haves! One such recent e-mail turned me on to an amazing website, www.lulus.com, that is chock full of awesome fashion forward pieces at wallet friendly prices. I was shocked as I browsed page after page of super cute dresses, tops and accessories each one cuter than the next. Most of the dresses range in price from $28-$79 (many priced in the $30 range). Check it out at www.lulus.com.

Honey Comb Racerback Dress $55

Black Tie Affair Dress $45

Rose Water Halter Dress (I love the back of this dress) $49

Sumatra Sundress $45

English Rose Tank Top $37

Love Flower Tank Top $31

Melie Bianco Blue Angels Bowler Bag $99

So Charming

I learned a long time ago, but have only recently accepted the fact, that I look better in simple, basic silhouettes. For years I would take fussy, intricate or complicated items into the dressing room loving how they looked on the mannequin or my friends only to be disappointed that they just don’t work on me. I have tried to love puff sleeves, ruffles, bright prints and interesting collars but they do not love me back. Elegant, clean silhouettes preferably in black favor me. 

So when minimalism is not de rigeur I look to jewelry to add a pop of style to my closet of simplicity.  A great pair of earrings or stunning necklace can do wonders for simple silhouettes while ensuring your outfit stands out from the pack. Needless to say I was thrilled when I discovered an amazing new online jewelry store, charmingly named Charm and Chain. They carry a gorgeous array of right on trend necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings. Check it out at www.charmandchain.com.

 

 

Straight From The Horse’s Mouth

Just a few tidbits of juicy fashion news straight from the horse’s mouth:

Simon Fuller (mastermind behind American Idol and Spice Girls) has joined forces with Sojin Lee (formerly at Net a Porter) to launch a fashion style website called Fashionair. Fashionair will not sell merchandise but will focus on editorial content with lots of fashion and style tips, trends and tricks. They plan on partnering with brands and retailers to have pop up shops so readers can then purchase feature items. The site is not up yet but you can sign up to receive details by going to www.fashionair.com.

Speaking of Net a Porter, they plan to launch sometime next month a designer discount site called TheOutNet.com which will feature over 200 designer brands on sale for up to 40%-60% off. Look for great deals on designers like Christian Louboutin, Diane von Furstenberg, Chole and Oscar de la Renta, just to name drop a few. You can sign up for e-mails at www.theoutnet.com.

Shopbop Sale

I got a fabulous e-mail this morning from Shopbop, one of my favorite online boutiques, advertising that all their regular priced tops are 20% off today March 10th thru Thursday March 12th. Just use the code WELOVETOPS at checkout. Great tops are pivotal to any wardrobe, they add versatility and style. A great mix of unique tops allows you to get more mileage out of your basic bottoms, you can change the way an outfit looks just by changing the top, take a black pencil skirt and pair it with a fitted button down top for work then change into a silk halter top and you are date ready. One can never have too many tops especially at 20% off! Check it out at www.shopbop.com.

A few of my favorite tops from Shopbop:

These two necklace tops come with their own accessories already attached, pure perfection.

The perfect work top, professional but stylish.

This tie neck halter top is fun and flirty for a night out but looks equally as cute for work worn under a suit jacket or cardigan.