Girl’s Night Out with Pearls for Lupus Team

Girl’s Night Out with Pearls for Lupus Team

by | Apr 13, 2015 | Beauty, Fashion, Style

Yesterday evening I had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of an amazing event entitled Girl’s Night Out with Pearls for Lupus, held at Charming Charlie located right outside The Triangle Town Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Charming Charlie is an American retailer, established in 2004 that sells women’s apparel and accessories, including jewelry, sunglasses, scarves, purses, wallets, clothes, shoes, and other items.   The event which was a fundraiser to raise money for The Lupus Foundation, was spearheaded by Crystal Harkless, the daughter of my good friend Carolyn Horton.  Carolyn is one of the founding members of “Pearls for Mommy Book Club”, which began in 1999 as a group of women who loved to read and wanted to share that love of reading, coupled with their thoughts and insights, with others.   Although I’ve been a member for years, I must admit I don’t always have time to stay active in the club; however, the Pearls kindly allow me to stay 🙂   Most recently the Pearls became famous, as they were featured in The News and Observer on Triangle Reads (What local book clubs are up to).  Here’s the link: http://www.newsobserver.com/entertai…/…/article15450053.html. When I was asked to participate and provide fashion advice for the event, I graciously accepted.  Carolyn as well as several other close friends are fighting Lupus, so I have a personal interest in helping to raise money and more awareness about the disease.  Last month at my First Annual Big Hat Brunch, I decided to feature Lupus as my charity of choice.  Carolyn attended and talked to the ladies as well as provided knowledge and answered...
Purple Reign

Purple Reign

by | Apr 9, 2015 | Fashion, Style, Trends

Purple has always been one of my favorite colors!  It makes an elegant and strong fashion statement, and coincidentally also happens to be the name of one of my favorite songs and movies by my favorite artist. 🙂 Could it be because it screams royalty, and there are so many ways to dress it up? For spring you will see various shades of purple hit the runway and beauty scene.   Here’s a look at a fun outfit I pulled together using this majestic color! I love mixing purple with other rich color jewel tones because it creates a very lush look.  It also looks good with metallic and whites.  I chose a magenta purple because of my warmer complexion; however, a cooler skin tone should go for a purple that has a blue or gray hue. The outfit deets are below: Shirt: The Limited  http://www.thelimited.com/ Necklace:  J.Crew  https://www.jcrew.com/index.jsp Leather Jacket: J’Envie  http://www.jenvie.com/index.html Skirt: Old Navy  http://oldnavy.gap.com/? Shoes: Guess  http://www.guess.com/en/ Purse: Zac Posen  http://www.zacposen.com/   I hope you have a lovely weekend! The Ultimate...
There’s so much to be thankful for, so it’s easy to smile

There’s so much to be thankful for, so it’s easy to smile

by | Apr 3, 2015 | Fashion, Style

Happy Friday Loves! Disclaimer:  I felt like changing it up a bit!  This post is totally impromptu and unrelated to fashion.   This week has been full of gratitude for me, and I wanted to share why.  With all that’s going on in the world today and in our day to day personal lives, it’s easy to get overwhelmed sometimes.  I must admit, over the past few weeks I’ve been feeling more tired than usual, which I still attribute to daylight savings time and losing that one hour of sleep.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it 🙂 Seriously speaking though, this is the time of year when the weather starts to warm up and I start to feel a little burnt out and ready for a break.  They don’t call it Spring Break out of coincidence.   Not seeing an opportunity for relieve in sight, I initially started to be a bit discouraged, and then I started focusing more on the positive aspects as to why I was so busy.  Once I refocused and realized how blessed I am to even have an opportunity to be busy chasing my dreams and doing the things I love, my thoughts turned into being grateful. There’s so much to be thankful for, so it’s easy to smile!   This week has been a great reminder for me to not lose sight of my blessings, no matter what the circumstance.  If you’re dealing with something similar, I hope it serves as encouragement for you too.         Top: Monkee’s of Raleigh  http://www.monkeesofraleigh.com/ Jeans: Paige Premium Denim  http://www.paige.com/ Shoes: JustFab  http://www.justfab.com/index.cfm?action=home.boutique#tab_bombshell I...
Styling and Profiling! Why not?

Styling and Profiling! Why not?

by | Mar 27, 2015 | Fashion, Style

There’s nothing wrong with having self-confidence if you look nice, feel like you have it together, and know it. I don’t believe clothes make the person.  I believe clothes should enhance the person…. but have you ever wondered what other people see when they look at you, or wondered how your profile looks to them from all angles?  How would you know if you don’t have a full-length view of your entire ensemble?  This is simple, but not always obvious. As a personal stylist, I frequently work with clients who have no full length mirror.  While an outfit may look appealing in the front, it may not always be the case in the back, and vise versa. It’s best to be able to judge an outfit in its entirety, instead of hoping the top half works with the bottom half.   A full length mirror is an easy fix that could eliminate wardrobe malfunctions not easily seen, plus provide a way to see your full silhouette.  I consider it a must have for everyone. Sweater: Arden B Jacquard Trousers: Laundry by Shelli Segal Shoes: Virgem Madre Have a great weekend! Love, The Ultimate...
Spring Forward!

Spring Forward!

by | Mar 20, 2015 | Fashion, Style, Trends

That’s it!  I’ve officially divorced winter! I can no longer take the dark colors, closed toe shoes, coats, beanies, or umbrellas.  Today is officially the first day of spring, therefore it’s time to bring out the bright new colors!  This past winter was harsh, so I’m embracing the change in season.  Today’s outfit post is me declaring a closet edit, putting away my winter gear, swapping out my boots for sandals, and never looking back. This outfit was built around the shoes I purchased from ShoeDazzle about a month ago in anticipation of this day.  If you’re a shoe lover but aren’t a ShoeDazzle customer, you’re missing out BIG TIME!  Not only do I find myself drooling over the styles, the prices are extremely reasonable, and the sales are phenomenal. My new spring fling is the color combination blue and yellow.  Lately I’ve been obsessing over it.  It’s like a breath of fresh air.  Although I love the color blue, I actually don’t wear it much, so it’s a different look for me. What do you think?  When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone?  Spring is the perfect time!   Sunglasses:  Old, Similar here: http://www.wildfox.com/wildfox-sun-lolita-frame Shirt: Forever21 Pants: JCrew Shoes: Loyita,  http://www.shoedazzle.com/products/LOYITA-105-000194-0100 Purse: Old gift Jewelry:  Africa (Senegal)   Have a great weekend and Happy Spring! 🙂 Love, The Ultimate...