Feeling Minty Fresh. . . . . .

hello beautiful people. . . . .

 i usually do a post about upcoming fashion "trends" for spring.

which is really funny if you saw me sitting here in faded, ripped jeans.

(oh well. . . . .know better, do better. . . .except for me and fashion:)

seriously, i only write about ones i think are pretty and wearable for average 

ladies like myself.  and you, my readers.

so i'm only focusing on one this year, since some of them scare me. . . .

like the fact that "stripes" are big this spring.

not going near that one,

not this year.

the fashion "trend" i've been reading about is a color. . . . .

pastel MINT green.

so fresh and pretty.

i've heard women say they would never wear pastels,

too babyish, girly (like there's something wrong with that?:)

but hopefully, after looking at some of these photos,

you'll see something you could add to your look for spring.

it doesn't have to be clothes.

a pop of mint in accessories is beautiful too!

HEY. . . . .if the Queen can rock mint green,

we can too:)

let's start slowly, with just a few pretty accessories. . . .

"La Vie est Belle". . . .the Life is Beautiful!

i know you can find something to like here. . . .

and nobody is saying that you have to dress head to toe in mint green,

or any color for that matter.

be FRESH. . . . .

be PRETTY. . . . . .

be AWESOME. . . . . .

be FUN. . . . . . . . .

 be CLASSY. . . . . .

 (by all means, mix it with metallics)

beYOUtiful!

xoxoxo

Suzanne

happy to join Friday Fancies with fashion today!

what are you wearing this Fall?

okay, living in south florida as Fall approaches is

TOUGH.

for those who don't know, we are still technically in

hurricane season and this time of the year is the HOTTEST and the

STEAMIEST time of the whole year.

i know, you thought it was summer.

and while that's hot, there's just something especially miserable about fall.

(not to complain or anything. haha:)

maybe it's because we know that up north,

you're getting cooler temps, pretty fall days and maybe even

a glimpse of color change in the leaves.

go ahead, i give you permission to gloat:)

so when i talk about Fall style,

please know i am still in tank tops, shorts and sandals.

but i can't wait to pull on jeans, boots and MAYBE a sweater

the minute our humidity drops.

i am going to show you what i WOULD be wearing

 if i had a normal fall to wear it in.

but first, what are the experts saying will be IN this fall?

i tried and tried to look up fall fashions but basically,

there are some UGLY trends out there right now.

and because i'm getting old.....and know what i like.....

i decided, who cares what they say to wear anyway, right?

so instead of specific items,

i'm giving you a few colors that are supposed to be everywhere.

this way, if you care about trends, 

you might grab a single piece in a fall color, 

you know?

the best i could tell, two colors that are big this fall are 

burgundy/wine 

and 

hunter green.

honorable mention goes to

  navy:) 

let's take a closer look.......

 notice the pea coat in burgundy, turtleneck and colored jeans.

key items, they say:)

in this photo, see the colored jeans again, and also the army green trench

(military touches are popular)

and the plaid.

so you see,

simply adding a pair of burgundy gloves might just make you look

as if you stepped off the runway.

or maybe not:)

it would take a WHOLE HECK OF A LOT

 more than gloves for me,

that's for sure:)

 i will enjoy a burgundy sweater and i love the burgundy leather backpack.

i have never worn a lot of green so that would have to be trial and error,

if i wear any at all:) 

but my mom's friend Betty is going to be rockin that green, for sure!!!:)

and now for my personal preferences,

cause i know you are wantin to know.....not:)  

hahaha

basically, i don't much care what they say.........

for FALL,

i LOVE blue jeans, natural tones (cream, sand) sweaters, 

warm, worn, medium brown leather accessories 

or

colored leather accessories

gold/jewel tone jewelry, 

football jerseys/sweatshirts/fleeces,

turquoise anything,
boots and that about does it.
nothing new for me, right?:)

my favorite thing here is the purse.
also love the burgundy boots.
and now that i see burgundy and hunter green with my natural tones,
i like the look.
maybe i will add some trendy colors after all:)

XOXO
Suzanne

stuff i love.....pastels, whites, tangerine and lace

stuff i love......

have you figured out that i love A LOT of STUFF?

at least that's what my husband says when i tell him i just

fell in love with something.....

and had to have it! :)

but today, i thought i'd show you some styles i love for

SPRING/SUMMER 2012 styles.

bet you didn't know i'm a fashion stylist!
well......that's because i',m not.
not even close:)

BUT......i know what i love,

what i think is pretty and worth having.

even if just one tiny piece or a touch of it,

such as a touch of lace, you know?

now, if you should run into me on the street,
you will NOT mistake me for a fashionista

NO.....far from it.

i'll still be wearing my old favorites.....

flip flops, jeans and tank tops.....

but let's face it,
sometimes a little something new and pretty is just what we all need.
now,  let's get started.
for what it's worth, here are the TOP picks from the
SHABBY CHICKS!

1.  TANGERINE, coral, mango, orange, apricot, peach

(style board #1 Tangerine)

isn't it pretty?

so FRESH, springy, and FLATTERING!

i have a few things in this shade and just bought a skirt and top

that i dressed up a bit and wore to a casual business dinner

with my CONSERATIVE, Brooks Brothers husband.

even HE loved the bright color.

now if you knew my navy and khaki guy,

you would RUN right out to buy yourself something orange!:)

(by the way, if you click the link,

it leads to my polyvore board where you can find out the price

 and where to shop for each item.)

now here are a few dresses in coral...how pretty are they!

2.  lace, lace, LACE!

i think we've all been a little in love with lace

since the royal wedding last May.

thank you to Princess Kate for bringing back something so delicate

and GIRLY!

denim and lace style board

i love all this lace.
lace tops, dresses, shorts, bags.....

and i LOVE lace with denim.
what can i say???

i'm sure Clinton from

What Not To Wear would say i need a MAJOR makeover

but i believe we 

wear what we like, not what they TELL us to like,
don't you?:)

3.   cool mint, baby pink, yummy peach, soft lavender, sky blue.....

PASTELS!

yep, pastels are BIG this year and i'm SO happy!!!

i know many women think they can't wear pastels,

maybe they're too babyish, too dated, unsophisticated.

hmmm....well, for what it's worth,
 i think

pastels look good on anyone.....
soft sherbet colors.
so feminine!
 and do we really 

need to look like some power exec all the time?

at the very least, buy a pretty top for summer nights.

for me.

please:)

check these out.....

just look at those pastel jeans and shorts, watches, flip flops.....

even the nail polish is pretty and pastel.

pastel style board 

GOSH......

almost good enough to eat!

like these.....

never say you can't wear pastels.....
i mean, just try telling these lovely ladies they
don't look good.

they are STYLIN!! (heehee)
i say go for it!

finally........

4.  white on white

oh yeah, dig out all your whites, creams, beige, even tans.....

because white, and even whites on white are BIG this year.

what else says summer than a white sundress?

and this is a perfect way to sneak in a bit of lace.

WHOA......we're on a roll now!

hahahaha

take a look......

white on white style board

there you have it...for what it's worth.....probably not a whole lot but.....
my picks for spring 2012.
1. Tangerine
2.  Lace
3.  Pastels
4.  white on white
gosh.....this is kinda cool.
hope YOU liked it!

Happy Friday.....
and thank you for letting me have my little fashion fun!


linking up with:

Spring Fashion Week 2012...Pretty as a Princess

so i think (that's how much i pay attention) that the past few weeks have

been Fashion Week in Paris and NYC.

now, my days of poring over fashion mags are pretty much over.

however, sometimes you can't get away from it...

like when you need something new to wear, 

go shopping, and the store has some CRAZY stuff

that according to the store are "the latest trends"...

or "these were ALL OVER the place

at fashion week."

yeah, whatever:)

Lovely...on a 6' 100lb model.

but what are WE to do?

so i've studied the so called TRENDS,

 and now i'll pass on what i've learned...

to you, me...the average amazing woman who is

supposed to somehow wear them:)

and our fashion MUSE for shabby chicks fashion week is none other than...

Princess Kate!

partly because i really like her style, even if i wouldn't wear some of it

(as if i could:)

but also because in looking at the list of trends, i have seen her in many of them.

the third reason, and the thing i think fashion week missed,

is this is the year of the Summer Olympics in

LONDON.

and WHO do you think all eyes will be on?

Mmmm hmmm...

the Duchess herself.

so there should have been a nod to 

British style/Kate/union jack somewhere in there.

but since there wasn't, i'll fix that:)

okay, here is the list of TRENDS for spring 2012,

from as many sources as i could get my hands on, and in no particular order.

1.  Pastels

2.  Neon

3.  Floral prints and Polka Dots too

4.  Lace and Sheer

5.  Tangerine

6.  White on White Monochromatic dressing

7.  Peplums

8.  Black and White

(proving classics are always in:)

now, i'm no fashionista but i used to think i was, if that counts:)

seriously, i do read, and here is what i have concluded is best for us

average amazing women...

take the colorful trends and use them to add a POP to your wardrobe.

some of you can get away with more than a pop so i'll show stuff for you too.

let's cover pastels today.

i hear people say they "hate" pastels.

too girly, they feel like an Easter egg.

well, guess what?

this year,
F
E
M
I
N
I
N
E
 is in!

see for yourself...

it doesn't have to be the whole outfit, although it can if you want.

but even an accessory or two...like this belt and pastel color block bag.
(by the way, you'll probably see a bit of color blocking this spring)

 maybe it will be some girly, pastel earrings.

supposedly, the NUMBER ONE pastel this year is MINT!

 and looking at these photos, i can see why.

so fresh and pretty!

even the tiniest bit of pastel in your jewelry would update a look.

lovely in lavender.

maybe your pastel will be a pretty pump.

or how about simply using a pastel nail polish to give your look that pop!

and they say you shouldn't be afraid to mix your colors.

see how she has a neutral sweater, jeans, and then a pastel bag, jacket and scarf?

 this mint coat is just gorgeous!

 feminine...

 maybe your pastels will be in one color family, like 

pretty in PEACH!

for early spring...a pastel sweater,

okay...these are killing me!

i hear so many younger girls say they aren't "into" pastels.

well, check these out!

okay, those are amazing!!!

wish i were 20 years younger...at least:)

and finally, did you think Kate's dress was the one and only time she wore pastels?

think again!!!

pink sequined dress, buttery yellow dress, pastel floral dress and the pretty lavender number.

one tip i read was that everyone can wear pastels and look great, it's choosing the right shade.  fair skin looks best in pale pastels, while darker skin tones look best in a slightly deeper/brighter pastel.

there you go...

Trend #1...PASTELS

Trend #2...NEON

and if you think you can't handle that neon, you are so wrong!

take it from me, the original neon 80's girl.

teeny, tiny bits of neon can be fun.

but that's for next time:)

CIAO!

Friday Favorites...on a budget

I can hardly believe how bad the news about the economy seems to get each day. I almost feel guilty writing about my favorite things...and telling you where to buy them. Almost!:-) A girl's still gotta shop once in awhile, right? I tried to keep things on the cheap for you except for my one, new splurge item. Here goes...hope you find something you like!

~Sally Hansen French Manicure Set: The cool thing about this set is the white polish comes in the form of a pen. I know when times are tough, manis and pedis are some of the first things to go so this is one solution. It costs $9.99 at Walgreens. I'm not so great at using any of these sets on my hands (I can't polish with my left hand:-) but on the toes, this works really great. If nothing else, this is great for touch-ups on your salon pedicure.

~Old Navy: Okay, sometimes I like their stuff and sometimes it's so boring. This year, they have so many cute, bright and *cheap* buys, I'm actually going back today to stock up on some fun basics, which I desperately need! Check it out...

This light-weight cable knit sweater is marked down to $20 and comes in gorgeous colors. I think I'd like a white and maybe this orange.

They have a bunch of diferent style cardigan sweaters. One of my favorites is this ruffle front, in black.
How cute with white shorts, a skirt or sundress.

They have a ton of colorful flip-flops...and I LOVE flip-flops, especially ones that are 2/$5. Can't beat that!

How about this adorable, canvas tote for $10?

I bought one of these umbrellas for my car. (Rainy season is on the way in south Florida!!!:-) For $9.50, I believe I may have one of the cutest umbrellas ever. It's pink with white dots and a green handle and it folds down to a compact size. They also have a multi color stripe, blue/white flowers and red with big, white polka dots.Then there are all of the tank tops and t-shirts for $5. And most of their clothes come in sizes xs-xxl. Wow...great buys, huh?

~Avon: If you have an avon rep, contact her or go to www.avon.com for great deals. Many things are up to 60% off and shipping is FREE, FREE, FREE!!! Avon has changed so much over the years so if you haven't tried in awhile, this might be a great time to check it out.

Now for my "splurge" favorite. A friend gave this to me for watching her baby girl. Totally unnecessary but...WOW, I love it! (and I would have never bought it for myself so...)
My new favorite lip gloss is CHANEL Lip Glossimer...in "Galactic".
Okay, this stuff is unbelievable. The gloss comes in over 30 colors but this is a limited edition. It looks frosty, iridescent white in the tube but it shimmers like magic when you put it on. I like to wear a bit of nude/pink or taupe lip-liner and fill in with the gloss. It's natural, shimmers with many little shades and stays on better than any gloss I have ever worn. (And I have worn lip gloss since the old days of roll-on goop in strawberry flavor:-) I can only imagine what it must look like over a favorite shade of lipstick...haven't tried that, yet! Anyway, this is not cheap. It costs around $27...but I'm told it lasts. And since the rest of my make-up is pretty cheap, I might just keep using this stuff. It's GALACTIC!!!!!:-)