sick and tired of being sick and tired

Lovely readers, I apologize for the lack of posts recently. As I've confessed, I'm not January's biggest fan. I wondered how the January/February blues would effect my blogging . I hoped I would be particularly inspired to write fun, creative content to escape the dreary weather. But alas, I've unfortunately just been bored, tired and down.

I spent the majority of the month fighting off exhaustion and sickness. Now, it seems to have caught up with me and all I want to do is lie in bed. My lameness isn't confined to Doux Rousse. My uniform lately has been skinny pants, flats and button-ups. I can count on one hand the times I wore one of my signature dress and blazer get-ups. I've also rocked sweats and slippers out in public way more than I'd like to admit. At least I'm making good on one of my new year's resolutions and reading more. Here's hoping that February surprises me and is more awesome than usual! And no matter what, I promise to step up my game next month!

new year's all year

After reading this article on Refinery 29 about wearing parts of New Year's Eve outfits all year, I was inspired to think of ways to rewear aspects of my own January 31 look.

As I talked about before the big night, I wore a skirt to try to give my look a unique twist. I ended up going with this sequin pencil skirt. I paired it with this jacquard corset which gave it a sort of Dolce and Gabanna corset-dress silhouette.

Reworking a sequin pencil skirt is not an easy task. It obviously can be reworn to parties, but I wanted to try to get this festive piece into my wardrobe in unexpected ways.

The first look was the most challenging. I wanted to try to make this sparkly, party-ready skirt wearable for work. I think pairing it with a fitted, bright cardigan would keep the look exciting but the buttoned-up top would tone it down a little bit. It's a great opportunity to wear a pointy pump because the pencil skirt and the shoe's toe really elongate the leg and look elegant and sophisticated.

Putting this over-the-top, fun skirt with a mixed-plaid flannel may seem too contrasting but I think this is the perfect way to mix and match styles. The wedges provide the height necessary for a pencil skirt but wearing a wedge instead of a stiletto adds to the funky style. It may seem risky enough wearing the outdoorsy top with the sparkly skirt, but the fact that there are two plaids in the shirt just makes the look that much more fashion-forward. For me, this is the perfect look to wear to a bar. It won't seem too fancy, but it will call attention to your great taste.

The final look is the one I can see myself most likely wearing in my real life. It pairs a neon v-neck with the sequin skirt and is finished off with gold-accented booties. I would wear this on a date in a second. It's laid-back and comfortable but eye-catching and fun. A few pieces of dainty gold jewelry and a messy bun would be the perfect companions. I just love how it makes a trendy look feel so easy.

ASOS Pencil Skirt in Sequins
Lucien Pellat-Finet Tulip V-Neck Cardigan
Prada Pointy Toe Pump (Similar)

ASOS Pencil Skirt in Sequins
Hollister Fallbrook Shirt (Similar)
Steve Madden Pammyy

ASOS Pencil Skirt in Sequins
Marni V-Neck Cotton Top
Sergio Rossi Booties

i resolve to break the rules

Happy new year! I've been recovering from my celebrations and even took a day off work (which I never get to do, so I took advantage!) so I've been a little M.I.A.

I haven't really figured out my resolutions yet. I'm one of those neurotic, weird people who makes, like, weekly resolutions anyways. I'm thinking I want to develop a strict skincare regimen, expand my blog, eat more fruits, vegetables, vitamins and supplements every day, volunteer at The Yellow Ribbon Fund more, go to mass more often, read at least one book a month (check out some of my picks here), finish old scrapbooks and stay up-to-date on new ones, write more letters, get my finances in order, figure out the next step in my career, run a seven-and-a-half-minute mile, and wear more jewelry and do my hair more often on the weekdays.

Whew! For someone who hasn't "really figured out my resolutions" I'm not hurting for any!

While those are nice, I like Kate Spade's take on new year's resolutions. These bags are so fun and serve as great reminders not to take things too seriously. The "I Resolve to Break the Rules" line also has coin purses, a bangle and printed t-shirts with the same light-hearted messages.

see you next year!

Every year people to try to predict what trends we'll be seeing in the next 12 months. I thought, instead, we could pay homage to some of the trends that were prevalent in good ol' 2011. Some of these trends I loved, some not so much. Some I tried, some I steered away from (dip-dyed, red hair, no thank you!). I'm sure this is not the last we'll see of these looks, but I can't wait to see how they'll be reinterpreted and changed next year.

What did you think about: menswear-inspired, mixing prints, color block, colored denim, dip-dye hair, neon, polka dots?

what the heck to do with the neck?

 

I'm thinking about wearing a strapless look on New Year's Eve and, while that may seem like a simple decision, I'm now faced with an age-old question related to the open-neck look: necklace or no necklace?

I love jewelry, particularly cool necklaces. What better way to showcase some pretty neckware than over bare skin, right? But isn't the whole point of going strapless to show off the clavicle, neck and chest? The whole appeal of the look is that it looks sexy in an unexpected, kind of non-sexual way. Especially for flat-chested girls like me.

There are tons of examples on the different variations of the necklace-strapless relationship. I'm being drawn to the bare look, despite my fondness for necklaces. Could throwing on a simple chain and pendant like Vanessa Hudgens be a compromise? What about delicate, showy piece, like Kate Middleton or Bar Refaeli? Or is it better to go with the tried and true statement necklace? Nina Dobrev's choker looks kind of amazing and modern.

All these questions, and this isn't even the end of it! Once the necklace dilemma is solved, then I'll have to find the right earrings, and decide if the hair should be up or down. So many choices! What's a girl to do?

sparkly skirts

New Year's Eve is the night when all the glitz, sparkle and glitter come out from hiding. To make my look a little unique this year, I'm eschewing the standard LSD (not that... the Little Sparkly Dress) for a shiny skirt. It's a little bit of a challenge to dress-up a skirt to the level of all the cocktail dresses that will be up there, but that just makes it more fun.

Fancy-it-up with rich textures like lace, feathers and fur. Add jewelry that is glamorous, but not overly trendy and add wear it with quality accessories, like a structured clutch, patent heels and a fur coat.

Free People Glitzy Sparkle Skirt
J. Crew Naomi Feather and Sequin-Embellished Silk Skirt
Max Azria Stud-Embellished Silk-Chiffon Mini Skirt
Haute Hippie Sequined Wrap Miniskirt
White House Black Market Stripe Layered Skirt
ASOS Pencil Skirt in Sequins
Topshop Premium Metallic Pleat Skirt
Trina Turk Umar Lurex Tweed Pencil Skirt
Diane von Furstenberg Jayde Metallic Mosaic Skirt

days of our lives

Something about a new year makes me want to reorganize, prioritize and make new strategies for success and happiness. There's no better literal representation of that than throwing away an old calendar and picking a new one that will set the tone for the next 365 days.

In that spirit, I'm going to feature a few calendars that I hope will inspire in the days leading up to 2012. This is one of my favorites by Inslee.

I first discovered Inslee's  delightful designs when I stumbled across some illustrations she made of some of my favorite bloggers. It would be a treat to see her inspirational, fashionable images every day.

the best or worst thing ever

This picture was labeled "Champagne Jello Shots" but upon further inspection, it's actually jello shots with creme soda, vanilla vodka and butterscotch schnapps. That sounds insanely delicious, but in honor of New Year's Eve, I decided to pursue the initial recipe.

I'm not sure if this is the best, worst, funniest or weirdest thing I've ever seen. I mean, does champagne really need to be improved upon? I know grain alcohol does, which is why jello shots were prevalent in college, but champagne? It's pretty scrumptious already. Plus, jello shots tend to lead to consuming mass quantities of whatever alcohol is used, and I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to chug champagne (pretty sure). Not to mention, champagne already results in a massive hangover. Mixing it with powdered sugar and sprinkles is certainly not going to make that problem any better.

But hey, throw caution to the wind! It's New Year's Eve! You can be over-the-top corny and festive.These are adorable and I'm sure you already planned to be too drunk and too hungover anyways. 

Champagne Jello Shots 

1 package grape jello
1 cup boiling water
1 cup chilled Champagne

(You know how to make jello, but here you go...)
 Add the jello and boiling water and stir until powder is dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature. Slowly add the champagne and stir in. Pour into an ice cube tray and refrigerate until set. To serve, dip trays in hot water for 5 seconds then run a knife around the outside of the shot. Dip in crystal sugar for garnish.