Summer Bright

dress: Walmart
wedges, shades: Target
bag: Ali Express

Welcome back to another week! We are almost in July and I can't believe that entire month has gone by already because we barely saw any sun around these parts. Also, I can't believe I got this dress in Walmart. Yes, I shop at that wretched place once in a while. So imagine my excitement when I was walking through pasta isle and spotted this pretty neon dress across the entire store. Two minutes later the dress was in my car without a second thought. I know that Walmart is not your typical blogger shopping place but sometimes you can find a one of a kind piece that makes that crazy trip worth it. 

Mix It Up - Monday Link Up

dress: Dorothy Perkins (similar)
cardigan: Target (similar)
shoes: H&M (similar)
clutch: H&M (similar)
glasses: DKNY

It's Monday morning. You had a nice weekend being pampered by hubby with breakfast in bed, a nap and didn't wash a single dish (he was so kind). Although you had a late night yesterday and was hoping to sleep in this morning. Well, your toddler decides to wake up at 5:46 and not go back to sleep. Ever. Almost two hours later and he's still awake, running around, trying to unplug your computer and climb on your face. And you realize that Mother's Day weekend has come to an end. Real motherhood begins.

That's my story this morning and frankly, I'm not a happy camper. Add to that restless legs that didn't let me sleep the entire night and you will get a stinky face. 

But let's talk about pleasant things, like this pretty mint dress I wore. I love that color and how nicely it plays with pink. Now all I have to do is take a shower, do my hair, make up, get dressed and I should be feeling better. Naaaah. Lounging in bed, having pancakes and taking in nap sounds like my kind of morning. 

I'm linking up with Lauren from Fizz and Frosting for Mix It Mondays! 

Fizz & Frosting (Bloglovin') / Happy Medley (Bloglovin')

Beauty Demands Sacrifice

sweater: J.Crew
skirt: thrifted (similar)
shoes: Zara (similar)
belt: Loft (similar)
glasses: DKNY 

The hardest part about blogging is not the pictures in freezing cold temperatures, or the hours of planning outfits. It's not even the enormous amounts of time we spend at the computer editing photos and networking with other bloggers. It's coming up with the post titles. I'm not joking when I say that I think about the title more than I think about what I'm actually going to say in the post. I always wonder if I should name my post after the outfit or whatever I'm talking about. Or should I tie the two things together and make them related, somehow? For example, in this outfit I'm wearing yellow sweater so I could talk about the lack of sunshine and name the post 'you are my sunshine'. That would be very lame and pretty pathetic though, wouldn't you think?

Instead I'm going to talk about how I was dying while wearing these shoes today because, well, beauty demands sacrifice. There is a saying in Russian that goes something like that but it's very hard to translate cultural phrases into another language because you loose the meaning. Well, even in English everyone understands that to look put together you have to sacrifice something. Whether it's sleep, because you have to wake up an hour early to do your hair or comfort, because you are wearing four-inch stilettos that make absolutely no sense at all. Except that they totally go with my midi skirt and add some height. That's all folks.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Medallion

skirt: J.Crew
blouse: Joie (similar)
heels: Aldo (similar)
clutch: old (similar)
sunnies: DKNY
necklace: Target 

If it every weekend could last as long as the week itself, wouldn't that be awesome? I feel like days fly by me and sometimes I forget what day it is. I'm not terribly busy or have million things going, still life isn't slowing down. The only things that isn't coming fast enough around these parts is spring. We still have some chilling temperatures and the rain just won't stop. 

Now let's talk about a shopping phenomenon I wasn't aware of until recently. Most stores have different prices in store vs. online. Ha! How am the only one who didn't know this? I snatched this skirt on a serious sale (under $25) while online it is listed for ninety dollars. Talk about a steal! Now that I know this, I will make sure to check out the store before buying certain items. Shopping online is a great tool but nothing can replace going to the mall, trying things on, buying in person and enjoying yourself among the pretty 

things. 

Also, it pays to thrift designer clothes, like this Joie blouse. I know, I know it's such a rare find but this is exactly why I love thrifting. 

Thank you for stopping by and have a great day! 

Spring Cleaning Tips

This maybe hard to believe but I go through my closet every season and get rid of stuff I don't wear. I try to wear *everything* I have and things that I don't, leave and never come back. I either give it to my sister, send a package to my relatives overseas or bring it to Salvation Army. Either way, I start with a clean slate every season. 

I have found that by doing that I keep my closet free of clutter and easy to navigate. I sort by color and types of clothes. Here is a peak at my recent closet clean out and some ideas on how to get your closet organized.

First of all, I dump everything out of my closet. Then I inspect, try on and look over things I want to put back into the closet.

 Items that go back into the closet:

1. Clean 

2. Current season (tees for summer, sweaters for winter)

3. Free of stains, tears and without missing buttons

4. Worn at least once last season

5. Heirlooms, designer pieces and items of sentimental value

-  laundry pile if applies with #2-4

Items that get tossed:

1. Have never been worn/don't remember the last time I worn it

2. Hate it 

3. Meh (Maybe I will wear it once - it was such a steal)

Can't do without the trouble maker with peanut butter stained lips.

Work out and home clothes get folded (read squished) into a bin with shorts and t-shirts.

I love myself a nice soft pajamas. In fact, I'm sitting in them right now, as I type this post. Fashion has nothing on a fleece PJs! Those go into a bin also.

Finding space for belts was the hardest. I have folded them, stuffed them in a box and rolled them up before but somehow they would end up in one giant pile of mess. Nothing worke as well as this Ikea find. I think it was meant for scarves but worked just as well for belts.

I fold all my knit dresses and skirts because they tend to stretch out when hang. 

Apparently I'm fond of orange. 

#selfdiscovery

Also I fold casual pants (like the collection of jean shorts I hoard), tees, hoodies and other non-dressy items

A few spring jackets for every occasion - bright, floral, stripes and white/beige get hung in the other section

Next I organize my tops. I start with short sleeves and sort by color. I find it easiest to have the colors grouped together because my eyes are naturally drawn to the selections much better then if I had them in a mix. I would not be able to find anything.

Next there are dress (and I obviously like blue/green/teal). Again, color coded, clean and ready to be worn

Lastly, there are skirts. Oh my, how love this collection of bright and cheerful skirts. I wear a lot of them and posses each in almost every color and length - from church to going out. 

I have very limited space (read tiny closet) so keeping it organized and fully functioning is the key. I hang everything that's easily wrinkles and expensive, as well as dressy. The rest of the clothes get folded or stuffed into a bin.

Last but not least, at the bottom of my shelves I have the shoes. Ahhhhh! It's a very humble (depends who's looking at it, I guess) collection of highly functional and cute duds. 

I hope you got inspired to clean out your closet and make sure that this spring you are ready to mix and wear everything you have. Sometimes, it's just a matter of organizing and getting everything where it needs to be -readily accessible and within reach. 

Thank you for stopping by and have a nice day! 

The Last of It

top: H&M (similar dress, top)
skirt: Talbots (similar)
heels: Zara (similar)
clutch: old (similar)

It's Christmas time. Just kidding. Well, it surely looks like that outside my window - the entire ground is covered with white blanket! That is after sandals and pool weather on Sunday - New York weather is crazy, I tell ya. So here we are back in cold again and the last of black and white outfit for this season (don't quote me on that though). 

So what's better then a dress that can be worn as a top? Pretty much nothing. My sister was giving me the stink eye and said 'went shopping again?' in her sisterly condemnation voice. I was glad to say I did not (I think hubby sand Hallelujah at that point). The trick is to have a dress short enough that it can hide underneath the skirt's hem. Also, you want the skirt to be thick enough so that no one would be able to tell you are wearing more underneath. I love experimenting with clothes and this is just one of the ways to stretch your dollars and get more wear out of your clothes. 

Hope you have a good (non-snowy) day!

Easy Does It

dress: Old Navy (similar)
bag: Kate Spade
necklace: Forever21 similar
shoes: Marc Fisher for Macy's (similar)
glasses: DKNY

Welcome to the new week! I hope you had a great weekend and enjoyed some of the gorgeous weather we've been having. We were thrilled to finally ditch the coats and jump into flip flops and shorts. Sunday afternoon we took a stroll and it was wonderful. On the other hand, with the coming of warmer weather and Jonathan being outside more, there is going to be a lot more laundry, that's for sure. He loves running around and exploring the outdoors so at least that's a plus. We will be spending a whole lot of time outside and probably forgetting to eat lunch at one point. So happy to see the weather warm up because we've been cooped up inside far too long.

Enjoy it friends! 

New additions to SHOP MY CLOSET page! Just in time for spring (mostly little worn or new) 

Neutral

shirt: Target (similar)
skirt: Calvin Klein (similar)
shoes: Ann Taylor (similar)
bag: Kate Spade (similar)
necklace: Target (similar)

Yesterday was all about bright and bold colors but today we are talking neutrals and pastels. Whatever the mood strikes, I guess. At times I feel like I want to be low-key but put together, other times I want to put on every color in my closet. Clothes are such a feelings-based territory that it's hard not to judge people by what they wear. If you don't care about your appearances and aren't groomed, it will definitely send a clear message. But if you are put together in a clean, proper clothing, people will treat you with respect. I've noticed that in my life. If I dress and behave like a lady, I get more open doors and prime parking spots. So if there is one advantage to shopaholism (is that even a word?) is that you get free stuff and more parking. Yes, that's the meaning of life. I'm just joking (it's Friday after all). 

I hope you have a great weekend! 

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER SPRING STYLE CHALLENGE WHICH ENDS SOON!