style inspiration: Olivia Palermo

where do you find your style inspiration?

true, we as americans find it via celebs, and this post is no exception. in my defense, i don't really think that everyone knows who Olivia Palermo is, but her star is definitely rising and she is {thankfully} making a name for herself aside from her reality show persona {google her if you have no clue what i'm talking about}.

whether she's wearing her hair dark or light, long, cropped, curled or straight, Olivia P has a true sense of personal style that i love. her lady-like ensembles almost always include a statement necklace along with a great bag and shoes. the looks are well put-together, and yet she always looks comfortable and at ease.


in addition, she's not afraid to take risks and plays with many silhouettes and prints. take a look at these random pics, and you'll see why she's definitely a gal to look to for style inspiration...















p.s., i'm happy to report that fashion e-tailer Piperlime.com is expanding its guest editor program to include Ms. Palermo for fall along with Rachel Bilson and Byrdie Bell! :)

all images via tumblr

stepping out of my nail color comfort zone...

recently i've found myself craving to wear a nail color i've shied away from most of my life...

red!

don't get me wrong, i love red polish on nails. they're classic. they're uber-feminine. they can even be edgy.

truth be told, the very first nail color i ever wore was red {thanks, mom}.

but...

i've never been a red-nail-polish-wearing gal. i admit it, the color has always been a bit intimidating to me. that, and i love all shades of neutrals, pinks and purples; those are my go-to, safe colors. for fall/winter seasons, i typically go with "deeper" versions of them.

so...

i'm adding the shade that adorned my nails first into my color rotation-- especially for fall. i've gathered my small stash of red lacquers, and plan to rock them like nobody's business {and yes, the number of reds in my collection will be expanding}. Chanel Lotus Rouge {pictured, above}, a gorgeous berry-red, started me on my not-afraid-to-wear-red-nails-anymore path this past week...

and i just changed my polish to nubar's Competition Red this morning. :)

btw, i tore this Piperlime.com ad for my fall ensemble inspiration journal, then noticed a few days later: the model's nails are red!

all pics taken my me :)

Fabulous (and Flat) Shoes

i have a friend who is 5'9, and since her husband is about 5'11, she never wears heels (that to me is such a bummer!). i've tried convincing her that it would be ok, but she isn't into being taller than her guy, thus her shoe wardrobe consists of only flat shoes.

while on the Piperlime website, i was inspired to search for-- and found-- some fabulous, yet still flat, shoes i thought she, and those of you who love flats, might love to wear...





Seychelles Square Dance flat has an almond-shaped toe, brushed hardware accents and snake embossed leather. these would be great to wear with everything from jeans to a fun dress.



to add a bit of preppy fun to an otherwise casual look, these flats by Restricted are perfect.



this pair by BCBGirls is ultra-feminine and can be worn with almost anything thanks to its neutral color.


xo