Scary weekend!

Cardigan: Syms. Top: Macy's. Cords: Talbots. Wedges: Bandolino. Belt: Misc. Bracelets: Brooklyn Flea, street fair.

Scary weekend, but not for your normal Halloween-y reasons! We got hit hard by a freak snowstorm here on the east coast, and my town has been without power since Saturday :( It's crazy the sort of damage that some unseasonal weather can do - There are trees down all over town because of the extra weight that snow on leaves put on limbs!

You didn't' think that would stop me going out for Halloween though, did you? No power, internet, or heat just gave me more of an excuse to get on a train to hoboken to drink out the snow with family and friends :)

Arrrg! Top and skirt thrifted, belt from a former Halloween costume, Torrid boots.

Lions and tigers and bears, oh MY!

Gangster, Marilyn, and a jellyfish!

Hope you all had a great Halloween weekend! What did you go as?

Stripes Around My Shoulders

Yay! Real OOTD pics! So you guys know my obsession with stripes (ok, who isn't obsessed with stripes nowadays?). It was Friday afternoon, the day before I left for vacation when I saw this striped blazer on Forever21's site. I gasped in excitement and immediately started wracking my brain as to where I could have a packaged delivered while I was away, because there was NO way I was letting this baby pass me by. Fifteen minutes, a new shipping address, and $28 dollars later, she was on her way to me :)

Blazer: Forever21+
Tank: Kohl's
Skinnies: Torrid
Shoes: Franco Sarto via ideeli
Sunnies: Cole Haan via Syms
Necklace: Forever21
Bracelet: Gift from my brother
White ring: Nordstrom Rack
Gold Rings: MARYJOHN

Personally, I'm a big fan of the stripes with florals trend, how about you? Do you mix your stripes with other patterns, or would you rather pair them with basics?

Another day, another maxi

Another day, another blue maxi dress. Seems I have a penchant for these, doesn't it? It was cool enough today to throw this light cardigan over the dress, making it a wee bit more office appropriate, though how office appropriate can you really be when wearing a dress fit for the beach and bright orange sandals? But I digress.

I took these photos around the back of my local Goodwill, where I picked up a cozy purple wrap sweater and a great light weight tweed cropped jacket for a song. The little Spanish man digging through the dumpster a little ways away gave me a few funny looks as I snapped photos of my self...but dude, you're digging through a dumpster - who are you to judge?!

To each his own, I say.

Cardigan, dress, sunglasses: Target
Sandals: Torrid
Necklace: Sister's
Ring: H&M

Robin Hood, Men in Tights

So I have a complex with this shade of kelly green, especially when it's a dress. Everytime I pair it with something brown, like the waist belt I wanted to wear, I feel very Robin Hood-esque. Weird I know. That's why I decided to leave the tie belt on this dress rather than replacing it with a real belt, and I tried to keep the brown to a minimum by wearing my trusty light brown chain embellished sandals. I think I've safely steered clear of Robin Hood chic, at least this time.

I rediscovered this dress in my closet recently; I picked it up from Torrid probably 3 years ago now. I remember why I loved it so much! It's made of the softest, most comfortable cotton, and the cutouts at the neckline keep it airy, even in the 97 degree weather we had yesterday. Today's supposed to be even hotter...What I wouldn't do for a day off, a lounge chair by the pool, and a cocktail!

Dress: Torrid
Sandals: Steve Madden
Watch: Syms
Bangles: Old Navy
Necklace: Chrdesigns (more on that later!)
Earrings: Katherine's
Ring: La Casita

I also wanted to talk really quick about a product I came across recently. I know many of us battle with the dreaded chub-rub, and I've said before that I usually rock the oh-so-sexy bike shorts or Spanx under my dresses when bare-leg season rolls around. I've tried Monistat Chafing Relief Gel, and though it works, I hated the fact that you had to rub it on with your hands and get the gooeyness all over your fingers. Yuck!!

Enter Secret Shield by Skindura.

Description: "Protection no one knows you’re wearing but you. This non greasy, invisible balm provides long lasting prevention from skin on skin friction. Made of 100% veggie derived ingredients, (no petroleum, no animal by products, no silicone). But it also helps soothe skin that is already chapped and chafed so your skin will be good as new in no time."

And Secret Shield lives up to it's description! I smoothed it on before I left the house for work - with  no mess and no hand-washing because of the convenient twist tube applicator. Through an 8 hour work day and then an hour+ of shopping (lots of walking!) I reapplied twice, and experienced no irritation at all! Obviously the product doesn't prevent your thighs from rubbing together, but it creates a barrier that eliminates friction and allows your thighs to glide right past each other. In the 97 degree heat and humidity we had yesterday I have to tell you I was extremely impressed with this product. I'll definitely be using it on a regular basis - I love being able to go about my day without worring about Spanx rolling down or bike shorts riding up! This is going to be my savior when it comes to beach time and running around in a bathing suit!

Have you tried Secret Shield, or any other anti-chafing product? Let us know your experience!

Go with the flow - ASOS Curve Tank

Can I tell you guys how obsessed I am with this printed tank from ASOS Curve?

Completely obsessed. It's so airy and comfortable, and the button detail down the front looks so nice and adds some weight to the shirt. I ordered this in the US18/UK22 as my usual US16/UK20 was sold out. It's so loose and flowy that I really don't think it would have mattered either way, but it fits great. Best part is the straps are adjustable so I was able to wear my usual bra and still be work appropriate in the cleavage department.

I'm obsessed with a lot of things lately, including this vintage rhinestone ring I bought at a little antique shop in Ridgewood. Also, with my shoes. Touche, Payless, touche. After the first wear, these are SO comfortable and easy to walk in, they've been my go-to heels since the weather warmed up. I'm seriously considering buying a second pair as backups because I love them that much. Also obsessed with Forever21 and their jewelry lately. But that's a story for another day.

Cardigan: New York and Company Outlet
Tank: ASOS Curve
Leggings: Torrid
Sandals: Payless
Bangles: Borrowed
Ring: La Casita
Earrings: Target

Do the polka

Ta da! So I may be a day late, but here they are, my Everybody, Everywear polka dots!

And look, I finally picked up a yellow cardigan which I've been dying for. This one is definitely on the mustard side so I think I'll still have my eyes open for a true, bright yellow one.

This ruffled tank is so cute under cardigans, though I've never worn it tied at the neck like this before. I quite like it! It made my jewelry choices easy because I didn't have to worry about a necklace. I chose these silver leafy pieces because yellow automatically makes me think of spring.

Best part? You totally can't tell that I spilled coffee alllllll over myself at work today! Sitting at my desk damp and smelling vaguely of french vanilla and milk was  not at all pleasant lol...good job, Ariana.

Polka dot tank: Old Navy
Cardigan: Target
Jeggings: Old Navy
Boots: Torrid
Bracelet: Unknown
Ring: NY and Co
Belt: NY and Co

I have this same tank in grey with coral spots but I'm still trying to figure out how to wear it. The challenge for me is that the V on these is low so I have to wear a tank underneath to keep the cleavage work appropriate, and I'm just having a hard time styling it with the color palette. I'm working on it though!

Have you guys checked out the rest of the Everybody, Everywear polka dot challenge participants?