I wore this Ruelala.com Calvin Klein dress before but with a blazer, but today I donned my arms because it’s summertime in TN (Ruelala.com $49.99)!! This dress says I have power (red is a universal color of power) yet the draping states I am a classy lady (and YES you can be both)! If you aren’t yet a member of Ruelala.com go ahead and join (http://www.ruelala.com/inv​ite/prettygirls)! Ruelala is an amazing online boutique that offers designer brands at huge discounts! Happy Styling!!

Nice LOFT dress (I've owned this forever, not sure how much I paid). Simple and classic! Happy Styling!!

When all else fails I wear a wrap dress! The wrap dress is on of my favorite styles of clothing and I have them for all seasons. I am not sure how much I paid or even wear I purchased this dress but I like it. I wore it to church and still have it on now! Happy Styling!!

It’s Friday! This week has flown by…YES! If I haven’t mentioned this before I sell dental medical devices. My goals for Friday at work are to end strong and plan ahead for an even stronger following week. I like to “dress down” because most offices I go into are only there for a half day or they too are pumped that it’s a Friday that they really could care less about seeing me. Professional dressing is always a most but I define “professional” by the setting or attitude of the work environment. My laid back Friday fit consisted of a sleeveless  sweater( The Limited $7.49 It was 98 degrees at 12:30 I am not sure why I choose this option), graphic skirt with cute pockets (GAP $7.88), and the coolest earrings( What’s in Store $6). All together my outfit cost less than $25!!! WOW! Happy Styling!!

I got this flock at Ann Taylor Factory Outlet store ($7.59- it still had the tags on it...ha ha). I prefer fitted “tasteful” clothing over “roomy” clothing. My fix to this well made dress was to belt it. Hey if all else fails throw on a wide belt and call it style (leather belt Express $6.99…this had tags on it too)! Like I said before a belt will always be in my “shopping kit”, that way I don’t look over great outfits just because they need a few adjustments. Happy Styling!!

I love the red pant trend now. It’s so fresh and red pops against any color you pair it with. I got these pants at The Limited ($10) and while I don’t like a chopped pant on me (because I am short) I do like the proportions of this outfit. A white ruffle tee (GAP $3) mimics the ruffles in the jacket (TJ Maxx $5). Getting dressed is really about playing with proportions and your body shape. Once you know what looks best on you, picking out an outfit should be easy. So go ahead a take a day, a full length mirror and different clothing shapes you have in your closet and “play”. I guarantee you will come out with some great looking outfits.  Do you like my glasses? I wanted to go with a different look!

Not sure why I wore a suit today? It was hot- 99 degrees then that mixed with Tennessee humidity don’t equal wearing a suit. I was still under the weather today (can you tell)?  I really like this Banana Republic Factory suit ($39 for the total suit and I recently purchased this)!! It’s really the details that make a great outfit, not that the picture does this suit justice but it has nicely placed darts that promote a womanly figure. A White House Black Market tank is a great basic and looked great because I had to remove the jacket at times. Happy Styling!!

I love the caramel color of this dress. This is my nude dress because it matches my skin color flawlessly. I got so many compliments on this Ann Taylor sheath ($9 via Phase II).I love the simple details of the tulip pleated skirt. I love-love-love a clinched waist so I paired an Express wide leather belt to show my lady-like silhouette. I kept the accessories simple with pearl details. Sorry, I am not feeling great at ALL but I am still smiling (I need someone to feel sorry for me)! Happy Styling!!

I had a major shopping haul at TJ Maxx a few days ago. I literally got designer finds for 75-90% off! I am not the biggest fan of pleats, unnecessary draping, or harem pants. In my opinion you have to be super model tall and skinny to wear to pull off these looks. So to my surprise I was amazed how well these Tahari pants fit me (they had the original tags on them for $89.95 I purchase them at TJ Maxx for $10). It’s a causal Friday work day so the cropped pants, green tank, and a drapped cardigan work well together. Feel free to post your causal Friday looks! I love to see all the pretty girls and guys out there living stylishly! Happy Styling!!

I went to an event where the Mayor of Nashville was speaking. The engagement was for young professional and although it was right after work I felt it was appropriate to dress up a little more. I am about to scream because I scored this beautiful cranberry Cynthia Steffe dress at TJ Maxx for $29.99 yesterday on the clearance rack. It had the original tags that said it cost $255…WHAT THE??? Yes, it’s an amazing dress but I would NEVER pay that much for an after-hours dress, really who does that? I love the sheer details on the shoulders and back. The color is sharp without screaming “LOOK at me”! Of course I am getting the cost per wear down on my Michael Kors scandals, ha! Happy Styling!!

When I go shopping from now on I am going to start carrying a kit of essentials. The kit will include safety pins, a belt to cinch my waist, a scarf to tie down my hair so it doesn’t mess up, and I am not sure what else. What else do you think I should add to my kit? The reason I need a “kit” is because I tried on this plain-jane black double sipper Marc Jacobs dress ($20 at TJ Maxx on clearance) and I really didn’t like it. The dress is kind of boring but when I placed a belt on my waist it transformed into something magical! I went to TJ Maxx yesterday looking for a cute top and I walked out with several designer dresses for pennies…SERIOUSLY I love TJ Maxx! Happy Styling!!

Some color combinations can remind you of seasons or holidays. Like red and green always reminds me of Christmas or red, white, and blue seems so patriotic. So when I got dressed this morning and my 6 year old started singing “That’s my bumblebee won’t my mommy be so proud of me!” I knew this was one of those color combos! But I like to think the yellow shirt looks striking and cool (Forever 21) and the black ankle length pants look smart (LOFT $7.88). What do you think of the color combo? I tried to tone down the yellow with all black accessories and grown-up kitten heels.  Are there any color combos that you steer clear of? Happy Styling!!

What are these?  These are magical clips! These special little clips help keep your bra straps from showing and also provide a “lift”. I have had several pairs of these clips and they come in nude, clear, and black. They transform your bra into a razorback style and claim to add 1 cup size. One of my pet peeves is to have on a great looking outfit and my bra strap showing! Happy Styling!!

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It was exceedingly hot again today in Tennessee (heat index at 120)! I learned my lesson yesterday that I will not wear pants when it gets this hot outside. My mother was impressed that I got this dress from Target. I told her not to sleep on Target because they have well made clothes and really great prices. My routine is to go straight to the clearance rack where you can enjoy prices from 30-75% off. I don’t remember how much I paid for this wrap dress but it could’ve been a lot. Plus I’ve had it for at least 3-4 years now and it still looks brand new. I must add it is rare that I send my clothing to the drycleaners. I wash most of my clothes in Woolite and cold water (this helps preserve the fabric and colors). A few little tricks and tips can save you time and money. Happy Styling!!

It’s rare that I wear an outfit from one store. The LOFT pants ($4.88 purchased online final sale), shirt (LOFT via Phase II $3), and necklace and bracelets (LOFT $7 and$3). It was 104 degrees today and I kicked myself for wearing pants! There was literally no reason to wear clothes today…ha ha.

Today was the last day of a weekend filled with family reunion events. Today I joined my family for church then a soul food Sunday dinner and boy was it yummy. A simple black pencil skirt (LOFT) and fluted LOFT ($9.99) tank looks sharp and elegant and kept me cool in Tennessee’s humidity. I have been wearing the mess out of my Michael Kors sandals (TJ Maxx $49.99) but they are so darn pretty and comfortable! Happy Styling!!

I love to wear heels! Often times when I want the height of a heel without forgoing the pain in my feet, I choose a wedge. These cute wedge shoes are from stylejunkieboutique.com $14. I’ve owned these shoes for about a year and they are super cute with jeans and dresses. Styling tip: if you are uncomfortable with wearing heels wear a wedge. There are several styling options out now for the wedge heel from professional to club worthy and your toes will thank you! Check out stylejunkieboutique.com she has some great deals and killer heels! Happy Styling!!

Saturdays are usually my days to hang out with my little girl, run errands, or do some shopping. My daughter loves to go to the movies; secretly I think she just likes to eat the popcorn like me, so I treated her to a movie and shopping. I have said it countless times, just because I am a mother doesn’t mean I have to get caught up in the “motherly runt” and dress like one. I know- I know as a mother it may seem like every ones needs come before you and chances are you might not get to take a shower uninterrupted by your little ones. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t devote sometime, even 5 minutes to yourself and upkeep. I believe the best lessons we can teach our children is how we carry ourselves and the importance of take care of you first. Now this doesn’t mean that I am selfish but it does mean “I cannot be a good mother/friend/daughter/whatever if I am not good to Coci first”! Okay I got off track...ha ha! So I wore this oversized blouse (TJ Maxx $10) and LOFT jeggings ($9.99) for my Saturday outings. What do you usually wear on your Saturdays? Happy Styling!

Friday Family Reunion!

My family jump started our annual family reunion on Friday night. It was a laid back event that included good food and great times. Although I don’t consider myself a” t-shirt and jeans type of girl” I wanted to rock a cool shirt my lovely friend gave me. The shirt says “Virtuous Woman Proverbs 31” (one of my favorite chapters in the bible). I am a short lady (5’2 ½”) so I always wear heels, even in jeans. It’s just something about wearing heels that makes your legs look longer and you have to stand upright. The jeans are from The Limited ($9.99), belt from LOFT ($4.88- final sale but its LEATHER!), and shoes from shoe junkie ($14 stylejunkieboutique.com out my next post on the shoes).

It was raining so hard this morning I knew that wearing heels would be pointless. I don’t want to fall and break my neck for the sake of looking cute. I love this Target wrap dress (read the question below on why I love wrap dresses). It has been a mainstay in my wardrobe for years and it’s held up so nicely. These Steven Madden rain boots are so freaking cute!! I will pair these boots with leggings or jeans tonight if it’s still raining (scored these at TJ MAXX for $39.99). In Tennessee when it rains it pours so rain boots are essential to my wardrobe or in case you get caught in one of our notorious flash floods. Happy Styling!!

Packing woes

Admittedly I am not a good packer at all. On trips I am that girl with two super sized suitcases and always saying at the end of the trip “I packed too much”! So I did a personal challenge for myself. I went away for July 4^th weekend and only allowed myself a carry-on. Well, I’ll be darn if it worked out great. Actually I had more than enough clothes and I know next time I can pack even lighter. Here’s what I packed, 6 dresses, 6 pairs of shoes (I only wore 4), 3 rompers, a bag of accessories, and of course the essentials (undies, pj’s, and such). I was so proud of myself!! The biggest space-consumers are the shoes and accessories (but they can make or break your outfit). I did have a separate bag for my toiletries and makeup (to be fair and room for shopping purchases). So tell me of your packing experience. Are you an expert traveler who packs efficiently? Show me pictures of your suitcase and tell us what’s inside! Happy Styling!!

Style Questions

Question: I'm on a fitness and nutrition program and continue to lose weight each week. But it is hard to really want to buy any clothes really since my body is changing. Are there outfits or necklines or cuts that work well in this transition? Or do I just buy clothes as I go along?

Answer: Always buy for the body type you have now! That’s the easy answer now were it gets tricky is that you should buy transitional pieces. My all time favorite transitional piece is a wrap dress. Diana von Furstenberg was on to something huge when she “invented” the wrap dress! I like the wrap dress because you can customize it to your weight simply by wrapping the dress. I recently unintentional lost a lot of weight. I refuse to go and purchase a whole new wardrobe. While I am getting my weight up dresses have been a life savior! I would steer clear of pants because most women tend to lose the most weight in this area. Be proud of your new and changed body! Show it off and I guarantee the compliments you receive you help you power through those tough workouts! All the Best!