Skinny Cargos & Red Pumps (Inspiration Calendar: Wk 1, Look 2)

I am a little grouchy about today's pictures.  I had a rough day in front of the camera. I just couldn't get a good shot.  I think the cold was messing up my focus. My hands were like ice cubes and my camera only allows you to set the self timer for one picture at a time. ugh! I am gonna post these pictures anyway and stop whining about it...

The Inspiration

photo credit

Cheryl Cole's look here is really nothing special to be honest, but it did catch my eye.  I bought a pair of skinny cargos many months ago and I have had the hardest time with them.  It's mind boggling really, because those damn J Brand Houlihans (which are currently on sale for $120 at Nordstrom) have been spotted on every celebrity in every magazine and on a number of fashion bloggers, too.  Needless to say, there is no shortage of skinny cargo inspiration in the fashion world.  Still, for some reason I just couldn't pull them off.  For some reason, this look spoke to me... Lol!  I loved that she rolled them up a little to expose the ankle and I loved the pairing with bright pumps. I even loved the raggedy  distressed sweater she's rocking with it. Not so sure about that hat, but if it was as cold where she is as it was when I was taking these pictures then I don't blame her!

The Inspired

Sweatshirt: Walgreens ($3.99) | Plaid Shirt: Old & Random | Cargo Pants: Sanctuary, Nordstrom Rack ($29.99) | Shoes: Go Jane ($26.50, sold out in Red) | Necklace: Forever 21 | Bag: Thrifted

Instead of a lightweight baggy sweater, I opted for a heavier plain old school sweatshirt.  I cut the collar (as I do with all sweatshirts) to create a Flashdance off-the-shouder neckline.  I've noticed a lot of dolman sleeve sweatshirts on the market right now priced at $50 - $400! umm WHAT!? Well, call me crazy, but in my opinion buying an over-sized sweatshirt and hacking off the collar gives the same effect. I bought this men's size small sweatshirt at Walgreen's for $3.99 and I love it!  It was too cold for the sweater alone so I layered it over plaid button up shirt that I've had for years. I think I bought it 2006 or 2007.  I can't say that I've worn in the last couple years but I'm glad I held on to it. I cuffed (rolling would be too bulky) my sweatshirt sleeves to expose the plaid sleeves and of course I've also got the plaid collar peaking out as well.  I think the plaid tied the look together and gave it some polish! (if only my collar would act right..Lol!)

Are you guys tired of seeing this necklace yet? Lol... I can't help myself! It's the accessory of the moment for me!  Anyway, as I mentioned before I've had these pants for a while and I had the hardest time making them work.  There was just something about the fit that I didn't like. A couple weeks ago the fabulous Courtnee of Moments of Whimsy rocked a pair of gorgeous pink cords that she had a similar problem with.  She mentioned that it just occurred to her one day that she should roll the ankles and viola! they were a perfect fit.  She is actually the one who got me to thinking about rolling these pants.  When I saw the photo of Cheryl Cole, it sealed the deal.  I generally think that skinny jeans look a bit strange rolled or cuffed so I would never have tried it if it hadn't been for Courtnee and Ms. Cole, but it works well with these twill pants.

So I have a hair update! I did my bantu knots again really late last night, but as you can see my hair looks TOTALLY different.  Even Fabrice asked "why did your hair come out like that?" Lol! Well, I took the knots out too early and my hair was still damp. Ugh! I assumed that letting them set overnight would be enough, but no, no, no! Oh well, you live and you learn.  I'll try again in a few days!

p.s. Our fab affiliate Alloy.com has an awesome pair of Skinny Cargos for $39.99.  I actually like the look of them more than mine, but I don't need to buy another pair of the same type of pants (boohoo!).  If you are in the market for an inexpensive pair of skinny cargos, I'd definitely give them a try!  Our friend Leslie at Fashion Du Jour picked up her skinny cargos from Alloy.com and she loves them. Oh, and you get 20% off with the promo code AHDEC20.

Click Image to buy!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Mixed Neutrals (Outfit Inspiration Calendar: Wk 1, Look 1)

If you're reading this then you are a fashion lover, and if you are a fashion lover you already know that Camel is the hottest color this season. The runways, magazines, and blogs have been flooded with images of luxe camel wool coats, and cozy camel sweaters.  Luckily I already had a few camel pieces in my closet so I didn't have to rush out and buy anything... not that that stopped me! Lol. I did buy a pair of light camel tailored shorts from H&M a couple weeks ago.  So you know I was thrilled when I saw the fabulous spread Tulin Sahin spread from Elle Japan on The Simply Luxurious Life!  I immediately knew that I had all the necessary pieces in my wardrobe to recreate this stunning look!

The Inspiration

photo credit

The Inspired

Coat: Old Sample | Turtleneck: Peter Nygard | Shorts: H&M ($24.95, kinda pricey) | Belt: hmm, super hold? | Tights: Target | Booties: Sam Edelman "Venice" ($99, Nordstrom Rack) | Earrings: Dots | Bag: Buffalo Exchange

I have to ay that I was quite proud of my remix. It wasn't bad at all! I have had this turtleneck sweater for years now. I bought it at a Nygard factory store in Gardena, CA.  It's right next door to my mom's church (City of Refuge) and we used to stop by after service for a little shopping fun. the details on this sweater are amazing. It has fabulous velvet cutouts on the sides and elbows.... so cute!  I also love the ragland sleeve! I love pieces that have subtle design details. They really make all the difference.

As you can see I went ahead and belted my sweater just like our inspirational look, but I have to tell you that after looking at the pictures I decided I liked it better not belted so I took off the belt.

The shorts are such a light camel that they look khaki in the pictures, but they are truly a very light camel in a faux wool (is there such a thing?) fabric. They are slightly high-waisted too, which I love! I have a feeling they are going to get a lot of wear. By the way,  Fabrice doesn't get the whole shorts and tights in the winter thing....

Him: why are you wearing shorts and tights? It's cold out side. Why don't you just wear pants?
Me: because it's cute.
Him: *shrug* (followed by a look of confusion)...okay, if you say so.

To make the inspirational look all my own, I decided to play with the idea of mixed neutrals.  I bought these gray tights at Target a while ago.  Now that I am seeing them in pictures they are a little more blue than I'd like, but they still work.  I think I am going to have to buy another pair of gray tights, though.  Anyway, mixing neutrals is a great way to add depth to an otherwise bland outfit.  Here, the splash of gray acts as a pop of color even though gray is also a neutral shade.  Mixing neutrals is also about mixing various tonal shades of the same color.  Playing with texture and fabrication will also serve to add a little depth.  Who What Wear's Trend Report shows us all the fabulous ways your fave celebrities are mixing neutrals this fall.

So, I am sure that you all noticed that I am rocking bright red lips in this post! I am pretty sure that every 6 months, I decide I want to start wearing lipstick again. Lol! I've been seeing red lips everywhere lately, and I felt like a new tube of red lipstick was calling my name... then I got my November issues in the mail and enclosed I found not one, but TWO Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick coupons.  Well, if that ain't a sign, I don't know what is (Lol, as if those coupons are not in there every month...please disregard my silly justifications!)  Anyway, I went with "Red Revival" and I do love it! It's perfectly matte and long lasting when paired with a soft nude liner. Fab and I went out for sushi and after an entire sushi boat and two shots of sake later, my lipstick was still going pretty strong... impressive!  It also looked great with a thin layer of Cranberry tinted lip gloss from The Body Shop.  The best part? It came off with ease at the end of the night. Gotta love it! You can pick up a tube for yourself at your local drugstore or Target for anywhere from $5 - $8. 

So how did my inspired look compare to my inspiration?

Thanks for stopping by!!!

December Outift Inspiration Calendar

The Outfit Inspiration Calendar returns for December! I actually think I'm gonna try to keep it going.  Not only is it a great source of inspiration, but it is also a great way for me to shout out all of the fabulous bloggers who inspire me everyday, too.  On that note, I worked on the format of my "calendar" to make it easier for you all to follow along.  The same overall concept will apply, but I've made a few changes.

• I chose 25 inspiring looks that I was drawn to for one reason or another. (Actually, I choose 21 looks.  You'll notice that the last 5 looks are all variations of the same look.)
• I've listed the trends or styling details about each look that I was attracted to.
• This time, instead of assigning them by day, I combined them into groups of five looks each.  Next, I assigned them weeks 1 - 4 plus one group of bonus looks (which are all variations of the same look.

This time around, I am going to make  a commitment to choose at least two outfits from each week to inspire me!  Now remember, the idea is not necessarily to recreate an identical look, but rather to recreate my own version the look by utilizing the trend or styling detail that I loved about it.

So here are the women who are inspiring The Fashionista Next Door this month....

Week 1: Inspired by...

• Brooklyn Blonde's chunky sweater, tailored shorts, and floppy hat
• The Style Underdog's utility vest and over sized animal print blouse
• Cheryl Cole's skinny cargos and bright pumps via The Vogue Diaries.
• B. Jones' over sized ladylike ruffled top and distressed patchwork boyfriend jeans.
• Model Tulin Sahin rocking camel tailored shorts, chunky cable knit sweater, and chocolate suede boots in Elle Japan's December issue via The Simply Luxurious Life.

Week 2: Inspired by... 

• Dirty Hair Halo's chunky knit scarf, cropped sweater, striped tunic/dress, and fabulous lace up boots
• Late Afternoon's heavyweight Norwegian flyaway cardigan and sequin skirt.
• The Blonde Salad's sequin blouse and edgy lace up boots.
• Style Underdog's vintage blazer turned vest.
• Annalynne McCord red pumps and scarf "necklace" (not sure where I got this picture...sorry!)

Week 3: Inspired by...

•  Dirty Hair Halo's shirt dress, polka dot tights, socks and lace up boots (basically the whole outfit)
• Style Scrapbook's navy stripes and leather mini; black & navy.
• Zoe Saldana's playful striped tee and casual black skinny jeans via Fabsugar
• The simplicity of Frankie Sanford's light colored flyaway blazer, long pendant necklace, and over-the-knee boots via The Vogue Diaries
•  Lucky's "girl-on-the-go" street style feature -- leather leggings and a denim shirt tied in the front and topped off with bold scarf

Week 4 - Inspired by...

• Keiko Lynn's bright red coat and patterned tights.
• Love Maegan's over sized sweater and camel shorts.
• Teal & camel (not sure where I got this picture! hmmm)
• Gwen Stefani's plaid blazer (hmmm... yeah, I don't know where this is from either. Sorry!)
• Atlantic-Pacific's rugged utility vest, soft feminine color palette, and ladylike wedges.

Bonus Looks - The following are all variations of the same look: cutoffs + tights for winter. I am pretty much obsessed with it, and all of the fab ladies below pull it off so well!  The idea behind the bonus looks are to just throw them in here and there just because I love them!

• Le Cheap C'est Chic
• Atlantic Pacific
• Fashion Du Jour
• Hmmm? I have to do better with noting where the celebrity pics come from.
• via Refinery 29

*A special note to all the fabulous bloggers featured here on my Inspiration Calendar -- as you can see, I have borrowed photos from your blogs and linked back accordingly.  I hope you don't mind; however, I completely understand if you prefer that I not use your photos in this public inspiration calendar (you'll still be in my personal inspiration board!). Please just let me know by leaving a comment below or emailing me at fashionista.next.door@gmail.com and I will take them down ASAP!

So, what's inspiring you this month?

 

Getting My Ducks in a Row...

I think it's time for my cyber vacay to end.  After neglecting the blogosphere completely 4 days, I started browsing my fave blogs today and found myself feeling inspired. Unfortunately, I also did not take any proper outfit pics during my vacation.  I guess that's what a vacation is all about, right. I wish I had at least taken pictures of the outfit I wore to the engagement party, but oh well.

Anyway, I did have some pictures from the Saturday before last that I never posted.  This is yet another outfit inspired by my Outfit Inspiration Calendar for November (I'll be doing another Calendar for December).  The inspiration was this lovely utility vest + sweater dress combo from the 2010 Love 21 Fall/Winter Look Book (via Fabsugar).

Photo Credit

Well, you all know how obsessed I was with my Old Navy utility vest when I bought it last summer.  I honestly thought I'd be wearing it much more than I have so far this fall.  Oh well, I've still got a few months of winter ahead of me!  Anyway, I paired it with a purple sweater dress I bought from a cheap mall boutique many years ago.  You'd think the thing would have fallen apart at the seams by now, but it's holding up.

Vest: Old Navy | Dress: Some Cheap Store | Belt: Old & DIY'd | Tights: Walmart | Boots: Bakers | Bag: Nine West via TJ Maxx | Necklace: Forever 21

I decided to leave the scarf behind because it just wasn't that cold and I might have died of a heat stroke with the combination of the turtleneck dress and the scarf.  Instead I opted for my Forever 21 chandelier necklace. Have you all noticed that it's my new favorite?

I belted my vest with an old cheetah print belt.  I was lusting after a pony hair leopard belt, and as I scoured the internet looking for a great deal I remembered that I already had one... duh! (last seen here) but it had a big cowgirl style buckle on it that wasn't really what I wanted... and then I remembered the buckle was completely removable...so I swapped it out with the help of a box cutter and buckle from another cheap belt that came attached to a dress (I despise the cheap belts that come with dresses...why do they do that?). 

The most exciting thing about these pictures! The DUCKS! I drove by a church parking lot that was being overrun by ducks. It was amazing! (yes, I am still in awe of all the nature in my new neighborhood).  I didn't want to get to close because they started running away, but this is less than a quarter of them!

So, how was your Thanksgiving? and how was your Black Friday? Did anyone find any great deals? I  bought a couple things that I can't wait to share with you guys so stay tuned! (sorry, I don't feel like taking pictures right now...I'm getting my groove back...slowly!)  My Thanksgiving was great.  I don't know if I've mentioned this before by Fabrice's family is vegetarian so it is a completely meatless Thanksgiving over here.  It drives Fabrice crazy, but it doesn't bother me at all because the food is GREAT! His parents are amazing cooks and I didn't even miss the meat.  They do make a DELICIOUS vegetarian dinner roast that is to die for.  I'm not a big turkey fan anyway, so I'll take the vegetarian dinner roast any day.  Besides Thanksgiving is all about the sides in my opinion! I tried my hand at making a vegetarian mushroom dressing.  It was my first time making dressing without meat of some kind and it was quite delicious!  I also made my famous macaroni and cheese, which I HATE making but Fabrice would let me get away without making it.

I hope you enjoyed some quality time with your family this Thanksgiving.  I am looking forward to Christmas for more holiday fun.

Thanks for stopping by!!!

An Old Fur Lined Leather Bomber...

Last Saturday I woke up early to head down to the Georgia DDS (department of driver services) and get my Georgia license.  It was early and and I was trying to beat the crowds, so my Outfit Inspiration Calendar came in handy.  I didn't even have to look at it. The process of selecting my inspiration photos at the beginning of the month proved helpful in a time crunch, because I kinda had an idea of some of the pieces in my closet that I wanted to wear.

So here are the two inspirational looks for today's look.  The first is a look from LOFT's Looks We Love.  Fur is one of my favorite trends this season and the weather was finally cold enough to break out the fur during the day.  I do love the simplicity of the denim + fur + khaki combo, but I was also inspired by the pretty printed blouse in the second inspirational look from the Simply Vera Fall Lookbook (via Fabsugar). It's so easy to get stuck in a black and brown rut in the fall, so I love to see a vibrant fall color palette.

Well, here is my inspired look...

Jacket: Wilson's Leather Store | Sweater: Old | Blouse: Tucker for Target | Jeans: Virtue | Belt: Steve Madden ($9.99, TJ Maxx | Necklace: Forever 21 | Bag: Nine West ($34.99, TJ Maxx)

I have actually had this jacket for at least 5 years now. It was a gift from my dad (the kind of gift that I called and asked for the money to buy...Lol!) . I got it at Wilson's Leather Store and it was $69 on sale. Yes, I remember all of this from 5 years ago.  Animal rights activists are going to kill me, but the fur is real.  (Sorry!)  This is the kinda jacket that you can keep for a lifetime if it's well taken care of, and while it may need to get stored away for a couple years here and there it will always come back in style!  I love that it combines THREE of this fall's hottest trends... camel, fur, and the leather bomber! Isn't it wonderful?

So, the second inspirational look comes into play with my blouse and sweater.  I actually don't own a watercolor print blouse like the Simply Vera blouse, but the first thing that popped into my mind when I saw the picture was my fave Tucker for Target blouse. The floral print is definitely fall friendly and topped with my avocado-green chunky turtleneck sweater, it created the vibrant fall floral palette I was looking for!

Is anyone else excited to see wide-leg and flared jeans back in style? Not that they were ever complete out, but skinnies seemed to rule the jeans market for so long.  I love a good flared leg.  I've had these Virtue brand wide leg jeans for years, too.  They are extra long and I think they have a fabulous retro look to them.

I thought the green belt was a nice finishing touch for the outfit. It's Steve Madden and I picked it up TJ Maxx for $9.99 (along with my new Mulberry "Alexa" Bag Look-a-like bag by Nine West!).  I love the extra long and knotted belt trend.  You can buy belts that are intentionally made with a an extra long end for this, but I've found that braided belts are an easy and less expensive way to achieve this look because they are completely adjustable.  I don't know if I've mentioned that green is my absolute favorite color. Of course, when I saw this green braided belt I had to have it!

So, I did get my Georgia license and I sadly turned in my CA license.  Why can't they just let you keep it as a souvenir?  Oh well, I guess I am officially a Georgia Peach now!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Little Red Riding Hood (+ Shoeclips.biz Giveaway Winner!)

First things first, I am happy to announce the Shoeclips.biz giveaway winner!!! Drumroll please....

... and the winner is Alana of Fashion by Alana!!!! (please check out her fab blog, folks!)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

I will contact you via email to get your mailing address so Shoeclips.biz can mail your fab shoe clips!

The Outfit Inspiration Calendar is off to a great start.  Thanks for all the feedback on the idea. I will admit that I felt a tad bit lame about doing it at first.  Like umm, now you don't know how to dress yourself, Eboni?  But, that was just stupid. Who doesn't need a little inspiration from time to time.  So with that said, let's get into the second look inspired by my calendar.  Again, this look was inspired by two looks...

The first inspiring look was this photo of Joy Bryant. It was the InStyle.com Look of the Week recently, and I thought it was just very quaint and comfortable looking. Again, it is very simple look... perfect for running around town, but not too dressed up.

Instyle.com

I have a couple floral dresses, but for some reason, but I had another photo in my inspiration folder -- Inspirational look #2 that JUMPED out at me and I was just hell bent on wearing red. This is odd because I generally don't wear much red. I know this is going to sound silly but I have major Snow White complex and red makes me feel super pale. I rarely wear red solids for this reason, though I will wear red patterns.  I know, I know... .we all have our little complexes! Lol!

Glamour.com

 So, I took the belted sweater and tan boots from Look #1 and combined them with the red dress in look # 2 and this is what I came up with...

Sweater: Super Old | Dress: Old Navy | Belt: Super Old | Shoes: Sam Edelman | Socks: Nordstrom Rack | Bag: Nine West | Watch: Michael Kors | Cuff: Farmer's Market | Sunnies: H&M

I've had this dress for a couple years now, and can you believe I've only worn it twice. Any idea why? Because it's RED!  It's a shame really, because it is such a cute, simple, throw-on dress. It's great layered under pretty much any sweater, blazer, or jacket you've got. When I was packing for my move, I deliberately kept the dress even though I hadn't worn it in at least a year. Red is hot this fall (when is red ever out of style?) and I am determined to work this dress into my wardrobe more often.

So, the best thing about this sweater that I've held on to forever even though it has a teeny tiny invisible hole in the back... it's hooded! I don't think I've ever actually worn the hood, but I love that it's there! Lol! Hence, the title of this post... Little Red Riding Hood... silly girl, I know.

So, I am sure most of you guys know that the fashion world is going crazy for chunky knits this season. Well, I think they look great on some folks, but quite frankly all that bulk doesn't do anything for my upper half.  I am pretty broad as it is. In fact, this has been the issue with me finding a faux fur vest that I like. I am convinced that they are just not for me because they make me look like a football player.  Anyway, back to the chunky knits.  I actually do have a heavier sweater that is closer to the sweater Joy Bryant is wearing, but when I put it on with the dress, I felt heavy and bulky.  Joy's sweater isn't exactly "chunky" but the pockets and cable knit give it a little more bulk.  I opted for this super lightweight sweater instead.  It was MUCH more flattering for me and my body type.

Fabrice is still utterly confused by the whole socks thing. I will admit that I a tad bit obsessed with socks these days. As with all my obsessions (remember the H&M bangle, and the flower pins), I will get over it soon enough and I'll be obsessing over something new.

Next time I wear this dress, I am thinking of recreating the red dress + army green look more literally. I've got  my Old Navy utility vest... This dress is sleeveless, so I'll probably end up layering another shirt under the dress and wearing the vest over the dress, belted. hmmm.. the wheels are turning...

What's inspiring you lately?

Thanks for stopping by!!!