How to Make Denim Work for the Office

Everything is turning up blue these days. Every wardrobe item that you can imagine is available in denim: skirts, jackets, dresses, shoes, boots, and even swimwear. "Jeans" doesn't describe just pants anymore.  Most employers allow casual Friday, a day to dress down and wear your favorite pair of denim pants.  Some employees love to sport the comfy casuals everyday. 

There are many options for dressing up your blues.  Staying comfortable and maintaining a professional look can sometimes be challenging.  Just how do you make denim work for the office on a daily basis?

• Try to stick with a dark wash- stay away from distressed, faded, or torn jeans.
• Choose styles that are not too trendy. Straight leg jeans, or boot cut are timelessly versatile.
• Denim on denim is too casual, wear only one denim item at a time
• Rich browns and silver accents elevate the casual Friday staple
• Skinny jeans work, as long as they are worn right. Pair them with a stylish tunic, or a blazer
• Stay away from low rise styles, unless you wear a long top...your co workers will thank you!

Alexander Wang, one of my favorite designers- launched a new denim collection last December: Denim x Alexander Wang. He says "There are a certain number of cuts and washes you feel are right, where you can still keep a strong identity." He has added four more styles to Resort 2016, including styles for men.

Monday Monday, I hope it's a great one!  How do you like to style your blues for work?

Bohemian Street Style

A few weeks ago I made a trip to my favorite shopping place: Bellevue Square on the east side of Seattle. I love Bellevue!  It is very classy city with a very "Califoniaish" feel to it. I would love to live there, but I would probably need 6 jobs to survive!

While I was there I met up with another blogger Lara of PepperandStyle. You will love her lifestyle themed blog! We have been conversing online for several months, it was so awesome to finally meet her in person!  She offered to take my pictures in the park just a few blocks from the mall.

I love the versatility of this bohemian top from Charlotte Rousse. It is a great piece for all seasons.  When I was in Hawaii this summer I wore it as bathing suit cover up.  You can also dress it up with a leather skirt as I did here.  For a total seventies look, pair the top with a short suede jacket and some flare jeans.

The weekend is here, do you have any exciting plans? 

SHOP:|Bohemian top(similar)|Michael Kors Sandals(similar)|Faux leather skirt| Bag-Forever 21(not available online)|

D.I.Y Color Block Dress

Hello friends,

  I 've been working on this color block dress awhile, and finally finished it.  The many days of hot  weather are to blame for my slacking. It's hard to glue yourself to the sewing machine when it's so nice out!

 I saw this trendy color block dress on the runway at the NW sewing expo last Feb.  It definitely has a retro flavor and I fell in love with it!  The model looked fabulous in the orange color scheme, so I chose it as well.  Fabrics that work great for this pattern are linen blends, ponte knits, and crepe.

 Although this color combination works best for spring and summer, it works for early fall too. The old rule about not wearing white after labor day no longer stands.  A jean jacket or blazer would pair great with this dress too.

Have you started making plans for your fall wardrobe yet?  Which trends are you most anxious to shop for?  I bought a few things already and am looking forward to layering up for the cooler temps.

Enjoy the rest of your week!


         Vogue 9048

Why Style is Eternal

What is style, and why is it eternal?  I'm sure you've heard the quote by Yves Saint Laurent, "Fashion fades, style is eternal." Style is how you make a look uniquely yours.  Fashion fads come and go, and rarely stay around long.  Iconic pieces used to create a one-of-a-kind look, will stand the test of time.

The Bowes Museum and Foundation Pierre Berge-Yves Saint Laurent are collaborating to create the
Yves Saint Laurent: Style is eternal  exhibition. This collection will be a display of the French designer's work and life. The YSL event will spotlight  the detailed components of his vision, and the immense impact it's had on fashion.  It will define the way we understand the female wardrobe in modern times.

In celebration of the STYLE IS ETERNAL exhibition, Farfetch  has chosen a few fashion bloggers to participate in a contest.  I was asked to put together a  set around the Iconic Saint Laurent Le Smoking Tuxedo jacket. This look is to represent the Frenchman's most classic pieces for today's woman. 
   
I'm so excited I was chosen to compete in this contest! One lucky blogger will be awarded a voucher to shop on this fabulous site.  Oh yes girls,  my imagination is already running wild with the damage I will do If I win! What is your favorite style that had endured the test of time?

Alright Friday is here again, enjoy your weekend and thanks for visiting!

|SHOP|

Yves Saint Laurent vintage blouse
$1,355 - farfetch.com

Yves Saint Laurent jacket
$3,750 - farfetch.com

Yves Saint Laurent black skirt
$925 - farfetch.com

Yves Saint Laurent leather pumps
$660 - farfetch.com

Yves Saint Laurent monogrammed purse
$1,215 - farfetch.com

Yves Saint Laurent bracelet
farfetch.com

10 Reasons to Own a 2015 GMC Terrain Denali

I had a very exciting weekend, and am anxious to share it with you! I just finished a GMC vehicle loan try out with  Page One and Weber Shandwick. These agencies target clients in the media industry for advertising and marketing purposes.  I am very happy I was chosen, and would like to thank them for the collaboration.  It was a very fun experience!

I was given the choice of  4 different GMC vehicles.  I chose the smallest available, a 2015 Terrain Denali,: compact luxury SUV.  It was the perfect size for me, and I maneuvered it well. 

What an amazing ride it was. I totally fell in love with this car and now I want one!  The Denali makes a bold statement with its unique design features. This powerful machine  "owns the road" in every sense of the word.   It is luxury defined to the max, and has all the bells and whistles you would ever need or want.  I highly recommend getting one if you in the market for a new vehicle.

  

Some of the Features that Sold Me on This SUV Were: 

1. The 4G LTE built in wifi hot spot: Own it like a boss! Grab your laptop, get a chauffeur and work from your car!
2. Programmable power lifttgate, opens and closes with the touch of a button.
3. An extremely comfortable ride, roomy, yet compact. This is the ultimate vehicle for a long road trip, your commute to work, or a day trip to your favorite little town.
4. Dual flow dampers that are exclusive to the Denali:  It was  the most amazing smooth ride and the car was a breeze to handle.  It felt almost like gliding through the air on a magic carpet ride!
5. Within reasonable distance away you can start up the car with the fob: a great feature for those cold winter days.
6.  It brings an exceptional level of power, style, and refinement.  It is definitely suitable for all lifestyles or stages.
7. The safety features are bar none. It has 6 standard air bags, anti-lock disc brakes on all 4 wheels, a rear vision camera, and lane departure warning to name a few.
8. I love the bold exterior design! The 3 element grille adds a very classy touch.
9. The gas mileage was fabulous! The sticker says it gets 23 mpg on the highway, but I actually got 31 mpg on average.
10. You have the all the features and class of a very expensive luxury vehicle, at a much lower price.  The average price runs around 42,000.

Photography: LT Hansen

The list could go on and on why I loved trying out this ride!  I hope your week is great! Are you in the market for a new car? If so, I hope you will consider this one!

Until next time,

Valerie

Blogger Spotlight: Jewels Wandering

Happy Wednesday Friends! 

As mentioned recently, I've met some really amazing peeps in the blogging community.  Making connections and promoting other bloggers is so rewarding!  Today I 'm doing my first blogger Spotlight. I met Julie of Jewels Wondering in one of my facebook blog groups. She is lovely, and I'm happy to share her fabulous blog with you.  Enjoy and have a great week!

      

Hi! I’m Julie. I am currently “living the dream” as an expat in sunny Singapore – although having a full time job keeps me honest! I am originally from Brazil, but my dad moved us around every couple of years primarily around the US and we also even lived in Brussels.  Soo, I have a bit of a hard time committing to living in one place, can’t shake the urge to keep moving. I am a lover of adventure and good wine, preferably with good friends and good laughs!

1) What is your blog about?

Currently my blog focuses on my adventures in Singapore as this is sadly the last year I’ll be living here. I like to mix things up a bit so its not purely Singapore focused, but also offers glimpses of my life.  After all, life can’t be all fun - although I wish it could be! I’ve blogged about my recent myomectomy; my travels to Mauritius to meet up with boyfriend and whatever else comes to mind!

2) What is your favorite part of blogging?

I’m sure I’m not the only one, but I am blown away by the community I have found.  I am so excited to building up on this community and the friendships I am starting to make through this medium. It is awe inspiring!

3) Why did you start a blog?

When I met my boyfriend (he’s a sailor in the USN), I wanted to know as much as possible what I was getting myself into.  Frankly, I was terrified as the military lifestyle is worlds away from the expat lifestyle; the only commonality being we all move every couple of years or so.  I was not an avid reader of blogs previously, but when I stumbled upon the blogs written by military spouses, I was hooked!  So after a while, I took the plunge and started my blog to connect with these fabulous ladies as well as it being a place where I could potentially “educate” my friends and family about the military lifestyle as I learn it. 

4)  Where is your favorite place to vacation?

This is easy! My most favorite vacation ever has been the safari I went on in Kenya and the most beautiful beaches ever of Zanzibar.  I would most definitely go back in a heartbeat!

5)  What is your long term goals for your blog?

I would love to have a loyal readership base where we can connect in one way or another. 

6)   What is a fun fact about yourself you'd like to share?

I am a risk taker – I moved to London and Singapore without a job and not knowing anyone!

How an Aha Moment Can Change Your Life

I should've jumped in, sizzling temps in the NW!

High in the sky scenic ride on the monorail!

  A pit stop at Pike Place Market for some refreshing peach tea

Last week I was invited by  Mutual of Omaha video tour to come over to Seattle Center and share my aha moment.  It was a beautiful sunny day and I enjoyed the sites.  I was a little nervous, but it was a super fun experience and I'm thankful they contacted me.  One video from the nationwide tour will be chosen  to feature on an upcoming commercial, that would be so cool!

For those who have been following my blog, I thought I would share the inspiration for starting this journey. For most of us there is usually a defining "aha moment" that sets the course for a new adventure in life.  Last summer is when my aha moment came. 

I was networking on Linked In to find a new job, and had hopes that a new career would be on the way soon.  It was there I connected with a entrepreneurial college student named Eric. He asked me what my passion was. I replied "I love fashion, sewing, design and love to help others."  He said "Well then, start writing a blog!" He also helped me with some of the technical issues of getting it started.  A huge thank you to Eric for encouraging me to follow my passion.

I'm so glad I made the plunge! The blogging community is so awesome and supportive. I have met  some really amazing people and made many new friends! 

Have you had an aha moment, a defining split second of clarity that set a new course?  I would love to hear it! I hope your week is filled with all the best things in life, thanks for visiting!

Valerie