stars and stripes

    Whirlwind Summer is in full effect. The 4th of July is quickly approaching and it makes me wonder-seriously, what happened to the entire month of June?? July is filled with lots of fun happenings however so I'm welcoming this month with wide, open arms. While the upcoming holiday definitely encourages me to sport some stars & stripes, I would undoubtedly wear any of these pieces I have selected at any time of the year...the American flag can never go out of style or be out of season, right?! Love each of these patriotic picks...now, which to choose??





Happy Friday lovely readers <if this Friday finds you plan-less, come check out Final Friday in OTR- some gooood sales goin' on at Sloane >

Wildfox cropped tank, Dannijo bib necklace || BUY HERE ||

Blue Life tee, Americana moto jacket {Nasty Gal},Wildfox cropped sweater, Starshine tee {Nasty Gal}
SHOP REVOLVECLOTHING
SHOP NASTY GAL

 

.... much love, dre

through my lens

       While this is not my typical fashion-oriented post, I do feel that fashion is inspired by and captured greatly by day-to-day sights & moments..... witnessing the various shades of a gorgeous sunset, seeing colors contrast amongst our environment, a flicker of light that catches your eye, a bundle of flowers giving off bright, radiant colors that just seem to somehow compliment each other to perfection...art, nature, beauty, photgraphy, fashion- to me, it's all interrelated. As you all know by now, I have been completely captivated by photography recently. While on vacation, I tried to capture each and every beautiful moment I laid eyes on.

Hope you find as much delight & inspiration in these photos as I did Y A

wonder if this umbrella-lost-at-sea found its way back to shore......

 

Dear inner bohemian

... let's play together more often. I had been "saving" this outfit for quite some time, as I too often do for no apparent reason, and felt that Florida was the most perfect place to wear it. It has a very bohemian/beachy vibe that made me gravitate right to it. In my opinion you can never, ever go wrong with anything Free People, which is who the crochet top is by.  I wore this look on a date night out with my handsome fiance (see picture below, yeah, he's all mine) as we went for dinner in downtown Naples. While it was really tempting to jump in this fountain and splash around, I resisted....although I know right where to find it should this urge return!

Hope this weekend meets everyone with fun plans and good times..the weather in Cincy is supposed to be gorgeous! 

Free People top /  Willow & Clay maxi skirt / Purse from VogueVert / Sam Edelman sandals

#luckygirl

ON THE CATWALK

fashion + art + music...  this is an obvious MUST ATTEND EVENT.....for reals. I would be there front row & center but I have a wedding to celebrate that night! Events like this are a great way of supporting and appreciating our ever-so up and coming city plus it's an amazing opportunity to experience the artisitic side of Cincinnati. Let's just face it... our city has become straight-up cool/hip/whatever your choice of description and it's time to start hitting up these events to fully embrace this. Below is an overview of this amazing event...... Saturday, 6.23.12...be there.

p.s. Looking for an outfit to wear to the event? Purchase your tickets at Sloane and receive 25% off your entire purchase... now THAT is a deal.


** On June 23rd, parProjects joins forces with Sloane Boutique + Jonathan Mezibov, ARTAYA, NVISION, as well as musicians from The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and "concert:nova" to bring a unique Fashion Show experience to Cincinnati!!

Event will be held in a 10,000 square foot space otherwise known as 'the electric warehouse' on Blue Rock Street in Northside.

A fine art exhibition featuring Billy Colbert, Susan Byrnes and Rob Wolpert will also round out the experience.

$75 will get you VIP/early admission with complimentary dinner-by-the-bite will be provided by Take The Cake + Drinks
General Admission: $50

tickets available online at http://SymphonicStylings.com/ + http://parProjects.com/ **

...possible looks to be seen on the runway c/o SLOANE...

Sunshine Renewal

    Well, I am finally back from a 12 day vacation spent in Naples, Florida... and oh was it nice. More to come on this later in the week as I continue what I have been referring to as a bit of a  "personal transformation" (sometimes you just need to get a way and take a closer look at things).... a lot of reflecting and renewing occured during my trip which I think comes naturally with the sound of the ocean, the viewing of a sunet, and some time spent alone with my lovely fiance & inspiring mom.  I am attempting to carry this process on through this week to continue to clear my mind although this week's process includes a 3 day juice fast/cleanse which I am learning is quite challenging the first time...1 1/2 days down - just waiting for the "boost of energy" they claim kicks in with a cleanse!  I felt a detox was much needed in my life though and I'll be sure to give an overview once I am finished- a tip I learned first hand today: do NOT watch the Food Network while attempting one of these, its a real slap across the face...

     While I didn't do too much during my trip (and loved it), there were a couple  nights of going out to great dinners with my fiance for the first half of the trip. These outfit pictures were based  around all of the loooovely VogueVert pieces that I am wearing....I cannot get enough of these eco-friendly items. If you haven't done so already, be sure to head over to VV here and check out the amazing collections!

So happy to be back to blogging ...I didn't have much internet access on my trip which turned out to be a good thing :)  .....happy Tuesday!!!

NECKLACE, BRACELETS, & PURSE AVAILABLE AT VOGUEVERT.COM
JOIE DRESS
RING AVAILABLE AT SLOANE

   

Southern Colors from PR Blonde

      One of the greatest things about fashion is it’s trickle effect. How people translate runway into every day is part of what discerns trend setter from a follower. Trends can vary. You can go from southern bold brights to a northern clean chic, city style or to a country ethereal. Being from Texas you would thing we would celebrate with cowboy boots and ten gallon hats, but I live in the fashion capital of the south in the very cosmopolitan city of Dallas. Founding city of Neiman Marcus and high profile Stanley Korshak and Highland Park Village, style isn’t lost in the south nor are the trendsthat have made it through that trickle effect. Everyday is a fashion show in Dallas and

though the hair may have gotten a little smaller the blondes are just as bright.

  

    I was so excited when Andrea asked me to write this post. As the editor of a fashion/lifestyle blog based in Dallas, she asked me to talk about my favorite trends – the ones hot in Dallas right now! So check out my Top 3. Though I may not consider myself a trend setter that takes major fashion risks I am a trend worshiper that tries to celebrate what trends I can and merge them with my life. I think what you can make work for you and how you can help others mix and match for their style is just as important – I guess you could call me a true “personal stylist.”

Florals – Spring has sprung and so have the flowers. It’s possible that I still have a few dresses from my middle school days that are arguably a floral print that came to die at the 8^th grade dance. Florals seem like an easy thing to pull off – I think it’s one of the hardest trends to balance while looking sophisticated and chic all at the same time. Print is too big and you will look big with it. Too small, and its too busy – you turn into a walking circus. Dallas loves color and a great way to incorporate that is with florals. Check out some of my recommendations for how to style florals in your everyday look.

Neon – I think we took a breif trip back to the 80’s grabbed a few color swatches and came into the 21^st century. Someone decided to turn on the Guetta and we created a new Neon movement rooted in striking brights. Though this trend is hitting everything from accessories, to bags, to shoes its also a breeding ground for clashing and turning you into the latest victim of an EDC rave. One thing I love about Dallas style is its secrecy for color – letting the trends like neon creep up in a daintier fashion. Check out some of my favorite neon accents to incorporate into your daily style,

Tribal – Another great source of color penetrating southern Dallas fashion is tribal prints. This like floral can be a whole host of messy if merged with too many other patterns – particularly stay away from any animal print “accents.” 9 times out of 10 tribal prints are enough on their own and the classiest of outfits bring in staple neutrals to help enhance the color and the wow factor. Check out my dos and don’ts for tribal prints and one of my favorite accent pieces for summer.

Make sure to check out PRBlonde.com for more outfit ideas!

Xoxo,

Lauren

Givin' the Cold Shoulder

More than often I feel hit over the head with certain fashion trends that saturate the market. Color blocking, neon, the hi lo hem, etc. Not to say I haven't jumped on the hi lo bandwagon more than once, but I love stumbling upon a trend that isn't overdone or an idea that is poorly recieved.

Just another day at the office

Lately I've picked up on a subtle trend among women's tops... exposed shoulders. Appropriately named "cold shoulder" shirts, this fashion statement is similar to the "cutout" trend but with sole emphasis on the shoulder.

Marie

I asked some of my Express Ladies to bare their shoulders and model their favorite looks!

Amelia

Like what you see?

Melaak

What better way to show off tan summer shoulders?

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

-KIMBLER

YELL REBEL YELL

West coast-style, affordable, comfy tees? YES PLEASE! This playful, vintage inspired clothing line is an obvious purchase for me whenever I come across a new graphic that catches my eye (ahem, often). With most pieces residing in the $50-$70 price range, this line makes for guilty-free purchases. I am head over heels in love with any line that has that "worn-in" feel AND appeal, and Rebel Yell simply nails both. As this brand is so on par with my style, I love the look of throwing on one of their tanks with distressed jeans or cut-offs + heels and calling it a night. That’s my kinda outfit. For a totally different spin, these easy-to style tanks and tees can effortlessly be dressed up with a chic, colorful blazer and mini skirt as well.

Still not convinced? Here’s a brief bio pulled from the Rebel Yell website that makes me fall even more deeply in love with this brand:

“Rebel Yell is a boutique lifestyle brand that reflects the nostalgia of a childhood spent in the glory days of the late 70’s & early 80s. The inspiration for the line comes from the Ballard siblings' rowdy, "all-American" childhood growing up in Virginia and Southern California, giving the brand an authentic and casual west coast feel combined more traditional, vintage, American athletic themes associated with the great U.S. of A.
Raised by a fashion-loving folk/rock musician mom, and a good ol' boy guitar-playing father - the Ballard's style and cultural influences started young. There was never a shortage of inspiring fashion, art and music around the house when they were growing up. With the classic rock greats they were raised on echoing through their design studio, they set out to create a collection reminiscent of the clothing they grew up with: Kick-ass, worn-in to perfection and all things vintage.”

How would you style your Rebel Yell tee?! Find selections and purchase your pick of Rebel Yell tees locally at SLOANE BOUTIQUE or via the web at Singer22.




Rebel Yell tank from Sloane // AG jeans