wear: new year's decisions.

i'm taking a little poll over on my instagram and i thought i should include you guys in on the vote! 
no, we're not talking caucuses (ronpaul2012!!!), just clothes. 

i'm debating between these two outfits for tonight... 

 

old navy dress/f21 necklace/j.crew belt

old navy dress/bcbg skirt/gifted necklace

i love option A because i just love that bright blue color. plus the necklace is kind of amazing. but, i don't have shoes that go really well with it and i'm not really in the mood to shop today. i love outfit B because, well, it's not every day you get to wear a gold skirt! plus, no shopping required.

what's your vote?

have a safe & happy new year!

wear: style challenge no.5

the fifth style challenge for abc family's new tv show, jane by design was actually my favorite so far. mostly because it was the first challenge i received that i didn't think, "oh $#*%! what am i going to do?" 

our challenge was to take a basic white button-down (a staple in any woman's wardrobe. in fact, if you're reading this and don't own a white button down, stop reading immediately and get yourself to the store.) and style it two ways: for work and for play. (work=office, play=cocktails.)

though my current "job" does not enforce a dress code and i've never actually worked in an office, i did work at j.crew, where many people shop for officey-like clothing. (the word "officey-like" explains why i've never worked in an office.) anyway, i feel like i have an idea of how i would dress if i were to sit in a cubicle every day. (likely browsing fashion blogs and facebook instead of doing whatever people are supposed to do in cubicles.)

i love the menswear trend for the office and, while we're talking about my past jobs, i once had a waitressing job where i actually had to wear a tie. i also had to wear a denim shirt and khakis. it was bad. but i would have the cute waiters to tie my tie for me, so that wasn't so bad...
anyway, here's my take on menswear-inspired office attire:

white button-down: c/o abc family

tie: stolen from mr.a

sweater vest: j.crew

belt: j.crew

skirt: j.crew

driving mocs: payless

for evening, i opted for a flashy skirt, a little mannequin cleavage and sexy shoes to balance the conservative white dress shirt. a statement necklace and wide belt highlight those curves!

white button-down: c/o abc family

necklace: gift 

belt: banana republic

skirt: bcbg

booties: aldo (via plato's closet)

what do you think? is this something you'd wear from day to night? share your day-to-night tips on jane by design's facebook page and let them know the daily be sent you!

here's another fun clip from the show!

see: new year, new look.

notice anything different? no, it's not my hair, and i certainly haven't lost weight. 

that starts next week. blerg. 

the daily be got a little makeover! or rather, a big makeover thanks to my amazing and talented friend, katie renshaw. 
she spent her precious time off of work this week helping me* with this and i love how it turned out!

i still have some work to do, updating the pages and such (pages! i have pages now!), but hopefully all the little details will be completed soon. 

thank-you, thank-you, thank-you, katie! 

*by "helping me" i mean, "doing it entirely on her own."

wear: style challenge no.4

over the holiday weekend we squeezed in another project for the jane by design style challenge. 
from the very beginning, this was the challenge i was dreading. we each received a "festive" sweater and asked to fashion it into something "fresh and exciting." 

at first glance i didn't know how this monstrosity thing could become something i would ever wear; but after looking it over, i thought it may have some potential (buried deep beneath the gold stitching, cheesy appliqués, and ample beading).

the back panel of the sweater was a blank slate and i immediately pictured using it for a cowl-neck scarf. i cut the front panels off of the vest, and set them aside. i also cut off the button placket, thinking it may be useful later on. 

with the help of my favorite domestic-goddess (errr, my mom), i sewed the placket onto the back panel and then into a circle, making it a sort-of button-up cowl. i cut off the beads from the front of the vest and we added them to the front for a personalized touch.

i think it turned out pretty well, don't you?!

have you ever brought new life to something old (or ugly) in your closet? 
if so, share your photos here! 


only 7 more days 'til jane by design premiers on abc family!

wear: christmas-y.

there are certain color combinations that i just don't wear. 

black and orange? too halloween-y. 

purple and gold? my old high school colors. 

red and green? too christmas-y.

but yesterday, as we got ready for our third consecutive day of christmas celebration, i broke my own rule. 

red flannel shirt + green wool skirt = super christmas-y. 

but, you know what they say about rules...

down vest: gap

flannel: crewcuts

skirt: fossil

belt: my mom's, circa 1987

tights: target

booties: dsw

sunglasses: ray ban

love.

thank-you all for being a part of our little world. i'm so thankful and humbled that you care to read my words and i hope i can continue to make you laugh or smile or even just inspire you to get dressed in the coming year!

love,

B

see: style challenge no.3

for the third installment of the abc family jane by design style challenge, we were asked to choose a purse from our own closets that represents our personalities. my mind immediately went to this vibrant clutch that i bought a few years ago from forever 21. starting with the very circumstances under which it was purchased--this purse represents me on several levels.

1. impulsive: i purchased this purse without really thinking much about it. i remember it caught my eye and i hesitated for a moment before throwing it on my pile at check-out. in my "younger years" i wasted a lot of time being insecure and second-guessing myself, but as i'm getting a little older, i'm finally learning to trust my gut and it's starting to pay off. this little purse is a tangible reminder of that.

2. thrifty: i only own one "designer" purse and it was a christmas gift from my mom and sister. (they got it for a mega steal from an outlet mall.) anyway, designer clothes, shoes and accessories aren't in my budget, but i've found a little creativity and a good eye can go a long way in putting together outfits that are stylish and still budget-friendly. (p.s. i paid less than $15 for this purse.)

3. colorful: whether referring to my personality or occasional choice in language, "colorful" is a word i would likely use to describe myself. i love to laugh, have fun and see people smile. i'm an extrovert through and through, and meeting new people is one of my favorite things. i love all the colors in this purse and i always enjoy pairing it with other bright spots in my wardrobe.

4. compact: i used to be a "big purse" carrier (olsen twin style), but now that my purses aren't doubling as diaper bags, i love carrying a compact clutch or little wristlet that just holds the bare necessities. this has carried over into other areas as i've recognized my distaste for clutter at home and in my daily life. i'm by no means a neat-freak, but i definitely feel a sense of peace when "everything has a place, and everything is in its place." that has lead to some major purges in my closet, my home and even my schedule.
(next i'm going to tackle my facebook page!)

5. unexpected: though i don't love clutter, i do love pattern! i like mixing prints and finding unexpected pairs that just... work. i love wearing this purse with other bright colors and complementary patterns. in a way, this is also true to my life. i don't always have a plan, but when i'm open to the unexpected, it seems like things often just... work!

in this clip from jane by design, jane's boss says that a handbag tells the world who you are. do you have a bag that represents more than just your personal style? upload a picture of it here and mention the daily be!

check out my first & second style challenges!

wear: lacy sunday.

i got this great lbd from old navy and envisioned wearing it in endless combinations. so far there have been two.
"endless" doesn't have a time limit...right?

i was worried that lace might be a little too sassy for church, but luckily it was the day of the christmas pageant so no one was looking at me anyway.

lace top: forever 21

black dress: old navy

belt: j.crew

tights: target

flats: banana republic

cowl scarf: back country

messy hair: wind

see: christmas pageant.

last sunday was piper and quinn's christmas pageant. piper had spent weeks practicing her songs and lines, but i was still nervous that she would back out at the last minute. when we first arrived and she put her costume on she was acting very nervous, but it didn't take long for her to get excited about her big stage debut.

or it may have been the excitement of seeing her one true love that helped her perk up. (the little boy with his hand raised is colin--piper's one & only. she has a mega-crush on him but sadly, he loves another. let the heartbreak begin...)

quinn, on the other hand, didn't have any lines to learn and was quite excited about her dove costume. (she has a mouthful of apple, as all doves should.)

in the end, piper didn't run off the stage and she said her lines perfectly!
"L is for LOVE that He brought to earth; that night in the stable in lowly birth."

quinn spent most of the pageant with either sucking her thumb or picking her nose.

(luckily she she doesn't pick with her thumb...)
they were all so cute and i was totally that dorky mom in the front row simultaneously video-taping, picture-snapping, facebooking and instagramming all the action.

wear: style challenge no.2

for the second jane by design style challenge, we were given a white t-shirt, some fabric markers and the instructions to take the shirt and style it in a way that reflects one of our style icons. simple enough, right? well, as i began to think about who my "style icons" are, my mind was flooded with women whose style i admire. they ranged from designers (stella mccartney, dvf, the mulleavy gals) to actors (diane kruger, michelle williams, kirsten dunst), from bloggers (kendi, laura, jules) to fictional characters (carrie bradshaw, penny lane, serena van der woodsen) and even some who don't fall into any one category (the olsens, nicole richie, alexa chung). i didn't know how to narrow it down, or how i would begin to style a humble t-shirt after someone whose style i admire so much.

when i started thinking about people whom i admire, not only for their style, but also as individuals; i started thinking about gwen stefani. now, i may not dress like gwen (i don't have the abs to wear half the things she does!), but i'm so inspired by her. i had my first girl-crush on gwen in junior high in the height of the no doubt days (when she and gavin rossdale were just a young couple in love!), but i have continued to admire her as she has taken on new endeavours (a solo career in music, fashion design and even acting), all the while getting married and raising a family.

if you have read more than a couple of entries on this blog, you know one thing i feel passionately about is women maintaining their sense of self (and style) after childbirth. it's certainly an everyday challenge and it may not be the same as before you had kids; but i think it is so important for women to take care of themselves in order to better care for their loved ones. i think gwen stefani is a fantastic example of that. she has always had her own style and i feel like that has only become more defined since having kids.

as a mom of two, she is an inspiration to me.

now, as for the t-shirt. i saw this picture of gwen rocking these wild tie-dyed jeansand i thought, here is a perfect example of gwen rocking her signature style even in the midst of motherhood. she looks amazing and she still looks herself: chic, cool and comfortable.

i decided to style my t-shirt after those jeans. i happened to have some leftover black rit dye after re-dying a pair of faded black pants  so i tried a tie-dye technique that was new to me. i accordion-folded the t-shirt, wrapped some elastics around it and let it soak in the black dye mix for a couple of hours. tie-dying is a bit tedious because you really never know what you're going to get. but, i was actually pleasantly surprised with how this turned out! even though we're heading into winter, i feel like the dark color can work as easily in this season as it will in the spring and summer.

after the t-shirt dried, i decided to cut it into a racerback tank-top to make it a little more versatile for layering.

 i listed a bunch of mine, but who are your style icons? go to the jane by design facebook page and tell us whose style you admire! and, if you would,
*tell them the daily be sent you!*

if you're excited about the premiere of abc family's new show--here's another sneek peak!

*

to keep up with all the other jane by design style challenge contestants, you can follow the twitter hash: #JBDstylechallenge.

wear: copycat.

the top half of this outfit was directly copied inspired by this look from kendi. kendi's outfits often cause me to talk out loud to the computer screen. on this particular day i said,
"oh, kendigirl! {that's what i call her, kendigirl.} that looks goooood."

after i was done being jealous that i didn't have j.brand wide-leg jeans (or the legs to wear them), i realized i have a graphic-print tank top, a similar cardigan and recently acquired the greatest cowl-neck scarf in the world. so, i stopped pouting and got dressed.
cowl neck scarf: back country
tank: forever 21
cardigan: target

pants: gap
wedges: old navy

belt: j.crew

wear: filmed.

for yesterday's style challenge i wanted to wear something relatively "easy" since i knew i'd be moving around a lot. black seemed like an ideal choice for being on camera. those added ten pounds can be brutal! ha. kidding. the bright pink scarf helped bring in some color and (obviously) keep me warm! i had planned to wear a necklace, but since i had the scarf on, i ended up just wrapping it around my wrist as a bracelet.  

leather jacket: bb dakota

scarf: target

dress: french connection

tights: target

flats: banana republic

necklace as bracelet: charlotte russe

*excuse the iPhone pictures--my camera battery died mid-way through our video shoot.
of course.