Fresh Florals

Freshen up your sweet florals by mixing things up and bringing pieces together that perhaps you normally wouldn't. Try your hand at print mixing by putting flowers with stripes, intermingling the military edge with the feminine aesthetic or going retro with florals and dots.

Mixing prints can seem a little dangerous and you may be concerned with coming out with wacky results, but the key to mixing patterns is to maintain one element between the prints. The easiest way is to do this is by keeping the color combinations in the same family or at least have them be complimentary. Another way to go about it is to keep consistency between the designs, like small with small and large with large.

Kate Bosworth

Eva Mendes

Selita Ebanks

Matching up prints in your wardrobe is another way to stretch out the items in your closet and also a way to spice things up if you're into neutrals, as you can stick with navys, browns and other shades that you're comfortable with just by keeping the aforementioned tips in mind.

Chrysanthemum Camouflage by The Dazzling Diva

Floral tank top, 17 GBP

Fat Face army jacket, 35 GBP

Tan pants, $70

Michael Antonio tan heels, $75

Dorothy Perkins clutch bag, 25 GBP

A B S mixed metal jewelry, $85

G by Guess post earring, $15

Pretty Perennials by The Dazzling Diva

Stripe cardigan, 20 GBP

Dorothy Perkins purple vest, 14 GBP

Great Plains flower skirt, $53

TopShop mini handbag, $40

White earring, $17

Braided belt, $15

Everything is Coming Up Daisies by The Dazzling Diva

H m cardigan, 9.99 GBP

Oasis, 45 GBP

Nicole platform shoes, $45

Nicole platform shoes, $45

Jvin leather tote handbag, $58

Aurora Bloom flower necklace, 25 GBP

Marc by Marc Jacobs enamel earring, $48

H M metal jewelry, 3.99 GBP

Gotta Love a Sale!

It's sale time ladies, check out what some of the following retailers have to offer:

Nordstroms

Shop it up at their "Half Yearly Sale" for women and children

Price cuts of 33 - 55% off!

Free shipping on orders of $200 or more

http://www.nordstroms.com/

Victoria's Secret

It's Semi-Annual Sale time at Vickie's

Prices cuts of 25% - 40% off!

Get 7 panties for $25.50
Use code VS7PANTIES

And use code SHIPVS11 for free shipping on order of $100 or more 

http://www.victoriassecret.com/

Macy's

Memorial Day Sale with an extra 25% off clearance merchandise - online ONLY

Extra 15% off + Free Shipping

Use code KICKOFF

http://www.macys.com/

Tulle

Memorial Day Offer

Free Shipping on your entire purchase until midnight Eastern time May 31st

http://www.tulle4us.com/

Shop The Look

Shop accessories galore with Free Shipping on orders of $25 or more

Use code SPSHIP

http://www.shopthelook.net/

Downeast Basics

Receive an extra 30% off all clearance until May 30th 

Use code MAY30

http://www.downeastbasics.com/

The Limited

$15 off of every $50 you spend, includes markdowns!

Use code STYLEPASS at online checkout

http://www.thelimited.com/

Happy shopping and have a great holiday weekend!

Wonderful Wedges

I guess you can say that I've never been a big fan of wedges, but they are beginning to grow on me and occasionally there is a pair that catches my eye. Wedge sandals look chic with shorts and minis, and they obviously provide better stability than a stiletto. A wedge heel is a great option for summer picnics, since they're usually in the grass, so you won't have to worry about sinking in the dirt and they offer another shoe option beyond flip flops.

Wedge heels are offered in varying heights, I am personally partial to 2" to 3" heights. You can also find a lot of "stacked" wedges available now, which are marketed like platform wedges, and are equivalent to super high stilettos. Try wedges with maxi dresses and linen pants for a super summery look.

wedge sandal

Medusa's Make-Up

I recently happened upon a new makeup brand, Medusa's Make-Up. I admit that I have not personally used any of their products yet, but it's evident that they are all about color payoff. Depending on your occupation, I highly doubt that these are products that you would wear to your daily corporate office job, however I do think they have their arena. If you are a makeup artist, this could definitely be a brand worth checking into, then there are always those glammed up nights out on the town to consider!

I've personally never worn bright shadows, but I have always lusted after the prismatic looks that arrive on my Sephora catalogs and that greeted me on the Medusa's Make-Up website:

It is said that Medusa's vivid eyeshadows and eye dusts rival L'Oreal HIP products and even give MAC Pigments a run for their money, but they are much more affordable than the latter. Medusa's offers 48 bright, shimmery colors in their eye dusts, priced at $6 for a pot of pigmented powered sugar-like dust (click here for a detailed YouTuber video on dust swatches) and 12 piece pressed shadow collections for $49 (or $8 each).

What piqued my interest most about Medusa's is that their natural mineral products are vegan and cruelty free. Medusa's offers other items as well, such as high impact color glosses, glitters and body powders.

Their site advertises a new Safari color collection which offers shimmery shadows in more muted tones that I'm interested in checking out. I'm also a bit of a gloss junkie, so I'll likely check into those as well. I'll be sure to post a review after I give their products a try!

Find out more about Medusa's Make-Up here.

Pearly Whites

Compliment your sun kissed summer skin with beautiful pearly white teeth. There are a plethora of methods for whitening your teeth found in your local drug or superstores, from toothpaste to whitening kits. I used to be an avid user of Crest whitestrips, which I think really get the job done with long lasting results, and would use them about once a year. However, with continued use I unfortunately began to experience tooth sensitivity. I'm very particular about keeping my teeth looking their best, but had to find alternative options to keep them looking their best.

If you don't have sensitive teeth, I highly suggest the whitening strips. You can even use them every other day, rather than daily, to curb any possible issues:



Crest Whitestrips Daily Multicare
Buy it at Amazon.com

For those with sensitivity who also want whiter, brighter teeth may I suggest a few alternatives:

Go SMiLE Toothpaste
Buy at Beauty.com

 Go SMiLE offers uncommon flavors such as Green Apple, Lemonade and Lavender Mint.

Rembrandt Toothpaste
Buy it at Walgreens.com

Arm & Hammer Whitening Booster
Buy it at Drugstore.com

And in case you're really serious about at home whitening, maybe you'd be interested in the following:

GLO Brilliant
Buy it at Sephora.com

Crush on a Call Girl

Showtime's "Secret Diary of a Call Girl" is one of my guilty pleasures that I have to watch weekly, if not for the storyline then absolutely for the fashion. I am over the moon about the wardrobe of the central character, Hannah/Belle, played by Billie Piper. Outside of her line of work, Piper's "Call Girl" is a modern day fashionista. She seamlessly blends fifties style, "Mad Men" dresses with chunky, modern accessories creating a wonderful fusion of traffic stopping, ladylike allure.

I could wear it every day!

Equal parts Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte - I rank my affection for Hannah/Belle's clothing right up there with my undying adoration for Sex In The City's style...meaning, I'll always be able to watch reruns and find something fresh and new!

Never drab, Piper's character is often outfitted in bold prints offset with punches of color paired with unique, chunky baubles (and not to mention voluminous hair and vivid red lips) often with a hint of vintage. Her style is certainly one that can sometimes be a bit over the top, but somehow it remains balanced and is never overwhelming.

Read more after the jump...

Put A Bow On It

As I've mentioned before I have an adoration for girly things and that goes for bows! You can find bows on all types of items like hair accessories and jewelry, but I have a special affection for bow belts. And I'm always looking to add a new bow belt to my ever growing belt collection.

The right belt is that little something extra that can take an outfit from plain to pizazz. And belts adorned with bows look especially darling when styling up shirtdresses and pencil skirts. If being edgy is more your speed, there are belts with bows edged in zippers.

Dita Von Teese

Zoe Saldana

Jessica Alba

Bow belts can be used for casual or dressy outfits from topping off boyfriend cardigans or peeking out from under blazers. Add a bow belt to your collection and I'm sure you'll be surprised at how often you reach for it!

Oh, Bow Natural by The Dazzling Diva

Shirt dress, $36
Unlisted platform wedge sandal, $50
Miss Selfridge clutch, 30 GBP
Tinley Road feather earring, $18
Dorothy Perkins turquoise bracelet, 12 GBP
Metal ring, $20
Bow belt, $9

bow belt

The Little White Dress

Brighten up your wardrobe and your look this summer, by wearing white. I love the look of an all white outfit, it looks crisp and super chic on a sunny day and at night, you'll stand out among all the ladies who are robed in black. White is a safe way to go if you want something different but feel uncertain about bright colors.

White makes your skin tone look warmer and more golden, and though I am also partial to ivory and cream items, I encourage you to seek out standard white shade. You can accessorize with color, but bold accessories in gold, silver and black can look fabulous when set against a white outfit. Depending on the style and cut of the dress you may not need to accessorize much at all.

I think white is great for a night out on the town, but I've also worn all white to the office before and it's great for just casual outings too.

Eva Mendes



Jada Pinkett - Smith



Sanaa Lathan


Tantilizing Tassels

Tassels are a sweet way to add detail to an outfit in a small way. They were found on spring runways and are popping up everywhere on shoes, belts, jewelry and bags. Tassel embellishment has a way of adding a pinch of drama to an otherwise reserved outfit.

However, tassels aren't just restricted to day or night, use them as an elegant accessory for evening and as a way to add a little sass to daytime ensembles.

Kate Hudson

Natalie Portman

Vanessa Hudgens

Beyonce Knowles

I think tassels can take a great piece and give it just a bit of "oomph," like this pair of Charles by Charles David pumps with dangling tassels on the back, which I own in a camel color:

Lucky magazine even suggested creating your own tassel belt by visiting your local craft store or stealing the tassel adorned tie backs from your drapes! And why not? It's cost effective, inventive and you're the only one who ever has to know!

tassel

Amazon's MYHABIT

Amazon has joined the likes of Rue La La, Gilt Groupe and eBay's Fashion Vault with the introduction of their members only fashion sale site, MYHABIT.

Find coveted designer brands such as Rebecca Minkoff and Elizabeth and James, with prices as low as 60% off. MYHABIT offers sales on mens, womens and childrens apparel, shoes and accessories. Events typically start at 9 AM PT/12 PM ET and last 72 hours. Membership is free and unlike some of the other flash sale sites, U.S. shipping on orders and returns is also free! In my opinion, that alone is worth becoming a member.

I must add, one pretty hot feature is that the site provides an interactive flash video of the model wearing the clothes. And I don't mean your push the button wait for it to load type video, I'm talking 'bout a hover your mouse over the word and she goes to work type interactive!

Looks like Amazon is trying to bring their 'A' game! Hopefully, their upcoming sales will be just as hot.

This week you can look forward to deals on brands like CC Skye, Bruno Magli and Charles Jourdan.

You can click here to sign up for a free membership.

Happy Shopping!

DD's Style File - The In Between

I woke up with the dilemma of having nothing to wear... Today's cause being the weather here in the northeast, because we're having a serious "in between" moment . It's not warm enough for short sleeves, but too warm for sweaters. Cold in the morning, warm at noon, could be raining by five...

To compensate for all of that crazy weather nonsense, I decided to go with a thin knit turtleneck and bare legs. Which also marks my first venture of the season of going outdoors without tights!

I went for a tan and pink combo. I thought the neutral skirt complimented the dusty pink of the turtleneck and the darker toned shoes and belt made the look a bit more cohesive.

Gold hoop earrings - Icing
Gold layered necklace - Burlington Coat Factory
Rose striped turtleneck - Merona for Target
Tan skirt - The Limited
Cognac belt - Unknown
Cognac pumps - Burlington Coat Factory

Before hitting the door, I also remembered a lively printed trench that I picked up on a whim while clearance shopping last fall, so I brought that out and pulled the tags off to add a little punch.

Zebra Print Trench - Rue 21

I was pretty happy with the overall look and can now mark it as one of my go to fav's, at least for these kind of temperatures. I have to say that what I liked most about the outfit is this ring that I purchased on Saturday, because it's dainty, girly and added just the right amount of something to my hand.

khaki pencil skirt

Cut It Out!

I'm all about a little bit of sexy when headed out for a night on the town, and the older I've become the way in which I emphasize that sexiness has changed a bit over the years. I love pieces with low, exposed or cut out backs, so the hot trend with hip and torso cut outs is right up my alley!

Celebs have been showcasing this trend lately and looking uber fierce! I must say, Harry Potter's little Hermoine Granger (Emma Watson) has matured, chopped her hair and has evolved into a stunning young lady. She is tearin' it up on the fashion scene and is workin' this dress like it's a 9 to 5! My, how fast they grow up....

See recommendations for you after the jump...