miscellany monday

happy monday everyone – i’ve added my random ramblings to carissa’s miscellany monday party!  check out carissa’s blog here and join in on the fun. 

{one} mardi gras.  do you celebrate mardi gras?  i celebrate it every year.  i mean, i don’t go to new orleans each year to party it up, but i usually try to have a last hurrah.  i eat a meal or food that i won’t be able to eat for the next 40 days.  sounds tough right? mardi gras is french for “fat tuesday,” referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the lenten season, which starts on ash wednesday.  lent is a 40-day period of piety, repentance and introspection as christians reflect upon the coming easter holiday.  this year ash wednesday falls on march 9, 2011, so tomorrow is fat tuesday.  if you want to learn more about the lenten customs, please check out this catholic update newsletter (here).  i’m looking forward to tomorrow because one of my co-workers is bringing in a yummy king cake.  i can’t wait to feast on this cake with a nice hot cup of coffee. 

{two} my 15k.  i’m getting ready for my 15k this weekend.  i plan to run again tomorrow and wednesday and then i’ll take a break for a couple days.   i can’t believe that the race is already here.  i’ll let you all know how i do. 

{three} the bachelor. so, i’m a little obsessed about the bachelor.  next week is the finale, but today is the reunion episode where the rejected bachelorettes tell all.  the previews look really juicy and i’m pretty sure that it will not disappoint. 

Perfect Skippers

Happy Sunday everyone!  I’m really sad that the weekend is over.  Do you ever feel like you need one more weekend day?  I know that I do.  Even though I’m not feeling good, I managed to run quite a bit of errands over the past couple of days.  Yesterday, I cleaned my apartment, went to a co-worker’s baby shower and later met my sisters and mom for dinner at The Cheesecake Factory.  Today, I did some laundry, went grocery shopping and went to work for a few hours.  Anyways, I wore this outfit yesterday and I loved it.  My favorite part of my outfit was the Perfect Skippers necklace from Anthropologie.  I was able to score the last necklace in the store for $9.95.  Woohoo!  For some reason the necklaces were coming up full price in the store, but on sale online.  I don’t know why there was a conflict…hopefully, that mix up didn't prevent any of you fromt getting this piece.

Shirt: Anthropologie Echoing Folds Cowlneck

Skirt: JCPenney East 5th Belted Pencil Skirt

Necklace: Anthropologie Perfect Skippers

Shoes: Gianni Bini Gold Flats

Fresh Picks to Follow: Bag Envy

Happy Friday!  I’m sorry that I was MIA this week.  I have been a little under the weather due to my allergies.  Hopefully, I’ll be back to my old self soon. 

Do you own a fake handbag or are you thinking of buying a fake handbag? If so, please reconsider.  I wanted to bring to your attention the Harper’s Bazaar Fakes Are Never in Fashion™ campaign.  It’s an amazing campaign that is dedicated to exposing the criminal activities connected to the sale of counterfeit luxury goods—child labor, drug trafficking, and even terrorism.  A designer knock-off may be priced right, so that the average person could purchase it and stay in fashion; however, the business of fake luxury comes at a great cost. Counterfeit goods have become a $600 billion industry and is responsible for 750, 000 jobs lost in the United States.  No matter how appealing the cheaper version is, there is no replacing the real thing.  Please check out the website for more information.  Okay, that’s enough from me about the fakes…I just wanted to make a quick PSA about counterfeits. 

Well, I don’t know about you ladies, but I love a good designer handbag.  And anyone that knows me, knows that I have plenty of them in my closet and that I love to change my purses often.   A designer handbag generally reflects a woman’s personal style.  Some women love to carry classic handbags like Gucci, Louis Vuitton or Chanel and some like trendy, edgier handbags like Coach, Juicy Couture or Kate Spade.  This spring, there are five handbag trends that include the north/south tote; the long shoulder strap; the daytime clutch; the large soft hobo; and the tassel.  This week’s Friday Fresh Picks to Follow is a look at some of my favorite Spring 2011 handbags.  

1. Coach – Kristen Elevated Leather Sage Round Satchel…$698.00

2. Diane von Furstenberg - Penny Medium Shoulder Bag …$565.00

3. VBH - Pellicano Python Tote…$4,650.00

4. Yves Saint Laurent - Roady Large Hobo, Flame …$1,295.00

5. Coach – Kristin Leather Willow Small Shoulder Bag…$298.00

6. Mulberry – Alexa Satchel…$1,150.00

7. Anthropologie - Caning Clutch…$118.00

8. Gucci – ‘Handmade’ Medium Shoulder Bag…$2,500.00

9. Chanel Python Timeless Clutch…call Chanel at 800-550-0005 to inquire

10. Chloe - Aurore Pure Paddington Tote …$1,795.00

miscellany monday

happy monday everyone – i’ve added my random ramblings to carissa’s miscellany monday party!  check out carissa’s blog here and join in on the fun. 

{one} hot and spicy.  i’m watching the food network’s the best thing i ever ate: hot and spicy.  and i want to try everything that they are listing...it all looks really good.  i love spicy foods, not fire engine hot, but something that has a little kick.  do you like spicy food?  my favorite foods are from Jamaica (i.e. jerk chicken or pork)…most of the meals have a little heat to them.  i also love thai and indian curry entrees…i love the flavor and the spices. 

{two} working out.  i went to the gym after work today and had an amazing workout.  in my opinion a good workout is when you workout your entire body and your clothes are covered with sweat.  i went to a class tonight that combines martial arts and self defense movements with cardio training.  i left the gym feeling physically exhausted, but i was happy that i burned a lot of calories.  i’ll be back to running tomorrow.   

{three} giveaways.  i’m super excited to let you know that there are 3 giveaways going on right now for various gift cards.  good luck everyone.

sara from you, me & anthropologie celebrated her birthday in style by hosting a giveaway for a $50.00 gift card to either anthropologie or j.crew.  check out her blog here for details on how to enter the contest.  this giveaway will end on sunday, march 6^th at 11:59 p.m. est.  

tara from little girl big closet is hosting an anthropologie giveaway where she will pick 3 winners. i know...this was not a typo.  there are 3 gift cards available – one for $50.00 and two for $25.00 to my favorite store,  anthropologie.  check out her blog here for all of the details on how to enter.  this giveaway ends on sunday, march 20^th at midnight.

kathryn and carol from in pursuit of pretty things are also hosting an anthropologie giveaway in honor of their one year blog-versary.   these ladies are very generous because they are giving away a $100.00 gift card to anthropologie.  please check out their blog here for all of the details on how to enter.  this giveaway will end on wednesday, march 9^th.

{four} the bachelor. the newest bachelor, brad womack, is down to two (2) ladies – emily and chantel o.   the finale will air on abc in two weeks.  i can’t wait to see who he picks and if he actually follows through with a proposal. 

Favorite Dresses – 83rd Annual Oscars

I just finished watching the 83rd Annual Oscars ceremony and I think that Anne Hathaway and James Franco did a pretty awesome job.  I especially enjoyed the co-hosts in the pre-taped spoof of this year’s top movies.  Did you enjoy this start of the 83rd Oscars? How would you rate their performance?  I’m also excited that Natalie Portman won the best actress award for her role in Black Swan.  Did you see the movie?  She had an amazing performance for her portrayal of a tortured ballerina.  And bravo to Colin Firth for winning the best actor award for his role in The King’s Speech.  I didn’t watch The King’s Speech yet, but it has definitely moved up on the top of my movie list. 

Most people watch the Oscars to see which actors, actresses and films will win this prestigious award.  I, on the other hand, watch the ceremony for the fashion first and then the awards.  Each year, female celebrities opt for glamour, gorgeous full-length gowns, pretty updos and the perfect embellished accessories.   When I was younger, I used to be inspired by this show to sketch and create my own ball gown designs.  I really enjoy seeing what each actress is wearing, how it was styled and finding out which designer created the dress.  So, I wanted to share a quick post about my favorite dresses during this year’s Academy Awards.  Here are my top 5 favorite dresses (in no particular order).  Did you have any favorite dresses? Let me know.  (Photo credit: People.com)

HALLE BERRY in Marchesa

NATALIE PORTMAN in Rodarte

SANDRA BULLOCK in Vera Wang

JENNIFER HUDSON in Atelier Versace

HILARY SWANK in Gucci Première

Fresh Picks to Follow: Jumping for Jumpsuits

This week’s Friday Fresh Picks to Follow is inspired by Katie Holmes.  Mrs. Holmes sat front row at MaxMara's Fall 2011 show yesterday during Milan Fashion Week.  She looked beautiful in her asymmetrical MaxMara silk chocolate colored jumpsuit.

Versatile, comfortable and easy to accessorize, jumpsuits are a wardrobe staple suitable for a wide area occasions.  The process of selecting the right jumpsuit depends on a variety of factors such as your body type, the occasion, your budget and your personal style. Ultimately, the key to selecting a jumpsuit that you will love to wear is listening to your instincts.  Do you ladies own a jumpsuit?  I wanted to buy a jumpsuit from Bebe a couple of years ago, but I missed out my size.  I plan to add one to my wardrobe this year.

Are you ladies jumping for joy over jumpsuits or does this oversized onesie freak you out?   Let me know.

1.  Tibi - Lace and Silk Corseted Jumpsuit…$470.00

2.  Chanel – Wool and Cotton Tweed Jumpsuit…price upon request

3.  Thomas Wylde - Printed Stretch-silk Strapless Jumpsuit…$1,700.00

4.  Marc by Marc Jacobs - Arielle Printed Silk Jumpsuit…$400.00

5.  BCBG - BCBGeneration Contrast Jumpsuit…$118.00

6.  Bebe - Silk Drawstring Jumpsuit …$129.00

7.  BCBG - Karmen Strapless Silk Georgette Jumpsuit…$398.00

8.  Halston Heritage - Silk-Charmeuse Jumpsuit…$355.00

9.  Fendi – Silk Jumpsuit…price upon request

10.  Bebe - Pleated Front Silk Jumpsuit …$149.00

New York Fashion Week - Fall 2011

Fall 2011 collections of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York started February 10, 2011 and ended on February 17, 2011 with the L.A.M.B. show by musician and designer Gwen Stefani and Ivana Helsinki’s vision for the upcoming winter. This years shows at Lincoln Center saw over 85 onsite shows, with 16 new designers that showed for the first time, as well as 16 associate members presenting in other locations.

I know that NYFW ended last week and I’m a little late reviewing the fashion, but I still wanted post some of my favorites.  I’ve looked over a ton of pictures from some amazing desighers and I’m very excited for the Fall 2011.   I’ve never been a big fan of the spring and summer fashions.  I know that may sound weird considering I live in Florida right now.  However, I lived up north for the majority of my life, so I’ve always enjoyed cooler weather.  I also think that there are more options for the fall and winter fashions.  Well, without further ado, here are my picks of some cozy fall fashions from my favorite designers.  

Do you have your favorites from NYFW?  Let me know. 

Tracy Reese

(image via Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week)

Tracy Reese

(image via Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week)

Tory Burch

(image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Rodarte

(image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Donna Karan New York

(image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Marc by Marc Jacobs

(image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Diane von Furstenberg

(image via Harper’s Bazaar)

TSE

(image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Carolina Herrera

(Image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Altuzarra

(image via Harper’s Bazaar)

 

Diane von Furstenberg

(image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Elie Tahari

(image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Carolina Herrera

(image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Michael Kors

(image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Marc by Marc Jacobs

(Image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Thakoon

(image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Oscar de la Renta

(image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Donna Karan

(Image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Jason Wu

(Image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Carolina Herrera

(image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Jason Wu

(image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Oscar de la Renta
(image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Ralph Lauren

(image via Harper’s Bazaar)

Trickle Down the Field

I’m so happy that this week is only a four day work week.  Is it bad that I’m already looking forward to the weekend?  Anyways, I wore this outfit yesterday, but I wasn’t really feeling it.  I think I could have styled it a little differently, but I'm not sure how I would have done it.  Would you have styled this differently? Let me know what you all think…I would love to get some feedback.

Sweater: Banana Republic Cardigan (pretty old)

Shirt: Anthropologie Trickle Down Top

Skirt: Anthropologie Field Skirt

Belt: Anthropologie Cylindrical Braid Belt

Necklace: Pearl Necklace (gifted by my BF)

Shoes: Gianni Bini High Road Heels

Knitting: A Purple Scarf

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I would post a few pictures of the scarf that I knitted for my sister.  I was a little slow with finishing it.  I’m very hopeful that she’ll be able to get a lot of use out of it next year.  Sorry sis that it took so long, but you’ll have something to look forward to next winter.   Yeah! Don't you just love the color?...the purple really pops.  If you want information about the type of yarn that I used or the pattern details, please comment below or send me an email at moodygirlinstyle@yahoo.com.

miscellany monday

happy monday everyone – i’ve added my random ramblings to carissa’s miscellany monday party!  check out carissa’s blog here and join in on the fun. 

{one} happy president’s day. i’m one of the lucky ones that didn’t have to work today.  i didn’t do much for the day.  i worked out and cleaned my apartment a little.  i don’t normally do anything patriotic on president’s day.  i don’t even know if there is anything specific to do on president’s day except going shopping.  i found an article off of the huffington post about 22 Ridiculous Things You Didn't Know About U.S. Presidents.  There are some interesting facts about our great leader…check it out if you get a chance.

{two} oscar buzz.  the oscars will be here in 6 days and i’m so excited.  i truly look forward to it every year.  the oscar ceremony will be televised live on abc from hollywood's kodak theatre on sunday, february 27, 2011 at 8:00pm.  the nominees for the best motion picture of the year are:  

photos from amctv.com

Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids are All Right 
The King's Speech        
The Social Network
127 Hours
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

i usually try to watch most of the movies that were nominated, but this year only watched two of them.  i watched black swan and the social network and i really enjoyed both of them.  Have you watched any of the nominated movies?  let me know which one you think is going to win. 

{three} running.  my running buddy and i went running early this morning.  i ran 6 miles and my body is extremely tired and sore.  I’m pretty sure that I will be ready for my race in 3 weeks.

{four} one of my best friends.  i’m super excited that one of my best friends from high school is coming down to florida for a weeklong visit with her family.  i haven’t seen her since last year.  right now i’m in the process of trying to get all of the girls from high school to meet up for a mini-reunion.  i can’t wait!

Moody Girl Runs: Running a 15k

On Saturday, March 12th I plan to travel to Jacksonville, FL to participate in the 34th Annual Gate River Run .  I have been running a couple of days a week for the past month now.  And I’m hopeful that I will be ready for the big day.  I have three weeks left to prepare and I really need to increase my stamina.  So, how do I plan to do this?

To prepare for this 15k (9.3 miles)race, I looked up training schedules for 15k races and found Hal Higdon’s training program.  Check out the details of the program here: http://www.halhigdon.com/.  I still have to create a schedule for myself with Mr. Higdon’s tips, but in the meantime I plan on running 5 – 6 miles tomorrow with my running buddy.  I also plan to go to the gym a couple of days this week to lift some weights to help strengthen my body and my core.   My goal in the next 3 weeks is to increase my running pace and to buy a new pair of sneakers. 

The Gate River Run is Jacksonville’s largest participatory sporting event and is the site of the USA 15K Championship, attracting a top field of world-class American runners racing for more than $85,000 in prize money, the largest prize money purse of any major U.S. non-marathon event.  On-line registration and information is available at www.gate-riverrun.com or by calling 904.731.1900.  Check out this article from Rachel Leitao, First Coast News, for more race details.