Lilly Pulitzer Giveaway

Hey everyone! Megan here. Sorry I've been so absent lately. I hope to make it up to you by letting you know that there's an amazing giveaway hosted by my friend AV on Long Distance Loving.

Lilly Pulitzer has a fabulous new collection and I've made a little inspiration board showing you a few of my favorite pieces. I'm so into the coral hanging from the necklace below. And they have earrings and bracelets that match. And I'm loving the striped dress and these lovely bangles.

The whole thing is just enough color and fun to brighten up these dark, chilly evenings!

Which are your favorite pieces?

Lilly Pulitzer Giveaway by est1839 featuring lilly pulitzer shoes

Don't Try Too Hard

Don't Try Too Hard by est1839 featuring kelsi dagger boots

See how these autumnal basics can be worn with just about ANY Kelsi Dagger shoe? I just love her designs - they're feminine and modern with an edge. Plus, they're accessible at places like Marshalls and Ross, not to mention DSW and Zappos. 
How do you stay comfortable and stylish? We're always looking for new ideas, so bring them here (along with a figgy pudding and Joseph Gordon-Leavitt, please!) and a happy new Wednesday!

XOXO,
Jenni

Rad Red

I went clearance shopping with one of my friends from my old job yesterday & came back empty handed.  It was a sad time.  But will we were clearance shopping we did a little window shopping as well.  We went into Express & New York & Co just to see what all the chic ladies were wearing this fall.  We saw a lot of fur & a lot of red.

This made me realize how much I really do love red.  Recently I've been thinking about starting to wear lipstick.  Megan has some pretty rad red lip color in her about photo, I know for sure, but I dunno how the other ladies here at est. 1839 feel about lip color.  I think they'd be on board.

At any rate, I have these awesome red shoes that I got for $2 or so while thrifting ages ago.  I love them! They are perfect for nearly any outfit & they really jazz up jeans.  If I feel like a chic casual day at work, I can throw on my dark jeans & these red shoes and no one knows I needed a break!

I wish I had more red in my closet.  Red is a color that is great to bring some life to wintery outfits.  Red scarves, red shoes, red nail polish.  Red is so classic!

Rad Red by fivesixteenthsblog featuring slim skirts

How do you feel about red?

Do you rock the red lipstick?

Labor Day Weekend

I was born on September fourth, so my birthday has always fallen on Labor Day weekend, which I've always appreciated. It's a really great holiday to just do nothing, and that's exactly what I intend to do this weekend with my family and friends.

Lazy Labor Day by est1839

I hope you have a nice time saying so long to summer.

PS:

Fashionably yours,

Tea Time

Today I've been kinda chilly, so I put on a hoodie and made myself some sweet orange Tazo tea, and I wondered, "Why don't we throw tea parties more often?"
So I went to Polyvore and threw my own!

I love to look feminine sometimes, but if I were to wear flowers and lace and pearls, I'd look like a wedding cake.  I decided to mix in those amazing oxford pumps by Marc Jacobs and a striking, modern cuff to offset the cut and fabric of the dress.  Who doesn't love a vintage pink Chanel basket bag?

If you love tea, think of having a little party to honor that, and an excuse to wear frilly gloves.  To make it into an evening, serve peach iced tea with amaretto or sweet tea vodka.  Delicious, and debutante.

XOXO,
Jenni

Tea Time by est1839 featuring an opaque hosiery

Inspiration: Sizzlin' Southwestern Style

Sizzlin' Southwest Style by est1839 featuring pendant necklaces

I love this take on western style that incorporates navajo patterns muted natural colors.  It's totally different from the typical western prairie look, and those geometric patterns get me every time.  The style in general reminds me of the photos of Georgia O'Keeffe after she left New York to paint out west.  

Dreaming of the desert, 

Polyvore Dreaming

Sometimes, when I get on Polyvore, my favorite thing to do is to find and choose the most expensive items and make a decadent outfit with a price tag to match. I usually do a pretty good job. I've found that my shopping habits have really benefited from my new hobby--spending imaginary money is better than going into debt for real, right?

So anyway, I found this skirt for 898 pounds (I think that's like 1400+ American dollars) and it was on.

Fancy Weekend by est1839

If I had all the money in the world, I'd totally wear leopard-print Dolce & Gabanna corsets to Sunday brunch. What about you?

Fashionably yours,

What We Wore: Job Interview!

What We Wore: Job Interview! by est1839 featuring leather shoes

So, today I went to DC to apply for the position of Objects Conservation Technician at the National Gallery of Art.  I'm not sure if I'll get it, because there were a lot of applicants.  However, I feel pretty good about it and I am sure that I made a good impression with my professional prowess in style as well as with my laboriously crafted portfolio.  I wore black pinstriped pants, a sheer ivory blouse, and black wedges.  The wedges (from Target) were commanding yet comfortable, and my shirt was breezy enough to keep me cool as I briskly walked down the National Mall.  What are some of your favorite professional pieces?  And how do you deal with the heat of the summer despite the need to stay covered?  We'd love to hear from you!
here's hoping!
Amy

Fashion for Less: Stunna Shades

Sunglasses....you need them.  Or at least I do.  Pretty much year-round I sport some crazy shades, but I never pay over five bucks for them. When you're as dedicated to frugal and eye-catching eye-wear as I am, you begin acquire a hit-list of places for cheap lenses.  My top three are Charlotte Russe, Big Lots, and Gabriel Brothers (or Rugged Wearhouse for those of you in the south). All of these places carry interesting frames that won't cost you more than the change that you can scrounge up from the floor of your car.  These are some of my current favorite styles, including classic wayfarers, bright colors and prints, architectural frames, and Jenni's favorite nudes.  

shades by est1839 featuring dark sunglasses

Weekly Inspiration: Nautical Necessities

Nautical Necessities by est1839 featuring a slouchy cardigan

In a previous post I mentioned my affinity for nautical summer style as opposed to, say, the surfer girl, pastel princess, hippie, or Daisy Duke.  Here are some ideas for crafting such a style.  It's a little more refined than your typical sun-dress, yet it still has a certain edge to it.
Smooth sailing!
Amy

Fashion For Less: Watch Out!

Hello!  This week has just flown by.  Lately I've been unpacking, working, & haven't found time to blog.  These past weeks have been all about pining to Pinterest, collecting fun images, & plain 'ol relaxing in my down time.

So now that I have a whole collection of things I want to share, I thought I'd start by sharing an image that has two styles/accessories I love: scarves & watches.

source

I love the double watch look & often sported it during college.

I still have some of my accessories stashed away that need to be unpacked 

so I can't wait to get back to this trend!

I also have a rack full of scarves & I remember when I fell in love with them.

This one in a cute little bow is to die for!

I like to say I collect scarves, but the truth is, I pretty much collect everything!

I love the unique finds from thrift shops & other second hand stores.

Since I love polyvore, I decided to look through a few pages of watches to find some 

that I'd love to sport double.

Polyvore Set

My fave place to find unique watches? The thrift store!

All of the watches in this set are $10 & up.  The top right one is over $2,000! (wwwhhhaaatttt!?!?!?)

But you can totally DIY one of them with an old watch face & leather/fabric from the craft store.

I am working on making a really cool watch DIY to share here! 

(keep a look out!)

What are your fave accessories? I'd love to know!

ps. I am linking to this great Friday Fancies link party over at Long Distance Loving!

Check out the other awesome entries & vote!

Inspiration - Music

Hi, I'm Jenni by est1839 featuring short shorts

This is my first-ever Inspiration Board, so don't lose faith in me - I'll get the hang of it!
I wanted to combine something about my art (music) with a list of clothes I can fantasize about having without draining my grad school savings.
In music, there is a technique called "text-painting" where composers would manipulate the melody of a piece to match the emotion of a set of text.  It gives shape and feeling to the piece, which I hoped would become clear with this fabulous, fabulous striped blazer from welikefashion.com (Just Female Blazer Sari).  Everything else seems effortless, like a great performance, and versatile, like a great performer.
Besides, nothing says "adventure" like blue velvet boots by Alexander McQueen.

XOXO,
Jenni