OOTD: Lace On Top

You may have seen that I picked up this lacy top last weekend at Zara on sale for $29.99 from $59.90 (I had my eye on it for awhile but didn't take the plunge, hoping for a sale!)

I wore it on Monday and I absolutely loved it.  Someone even asked me "why I was so dressed up on a Monday?"  I think this top has a dressier vibe and I love that it's a bit cropped because it looks great paired with a high-waisted pencil skirt.

Top- Zara
Tank (underneath)- Target
Skirt- Banana Republic
Shoes- Kate Spade
Necklace- NY Light Metals on Etsy.com

xoxo,

Veronika.

OOTD: Think (Hot) Pink!

When I put together this outfit, I had intended to wear heels, but I'm glad I didn't because the hot pink flats I wore ended up being super-cute with this look! 

Blouse- Zara
Skirt- Heritage Collection @ Banana Republic
Shoes- J. Crew

If you work outside the home, how many days per week do you wear flats versus heels?

xoxo,

Veronika.

OOTD: The Pink Dress

It's almost Friday, Friday, gonna get down on Friday, looking forward to the weekend, weekend, Friday, Friday, Friday....

Okay, that's enough of that---and for those of you who didn't catch the funny in that first line---you haven't watched Rebbecca Black's "Friday" video so I'm going to link it here for your viewing pleasure.

Yesterday, I showed you the Banana Republic olive dress (which, BTW I checked the freaking tag today and would you believe it---it was originally $115!!! I didn't even see that when I bought it for $41.99 plus 30% off...so now I feel even awesomer about it---if that's even possible!)

Today, I'm showing you the pink Banana Republic dress. I didn't really accessorize either dress because I wanted to show them just on their own---I'll play around with belts and such next time I wear 'em. Also--- a few people have asked about sizing. I got the olive in an XS and the pink in a Small. I have no idea why but I liked the olive in the smaller size. Weird.

HI LULU!!!

Dress-  Banana Republic
(On clearance racks right now!!!)
Cardigan- Express
Shoes- Jessica Simpson
(and yes, I've been wearing these every darn day)
Necklace- Tiffany & Co.

What are everyone's weekend plans?  I'm going to try and hit the gym, do some shopping and having dinner with Candice Saturday night!  Sounds like a perfect weekend to me!

Oh, and don't forget to check out Chloe's blog, See Chloe Shop, for all of the sales happening this weekend!
xoxo,

Veronika.

PS- I finally got back into the gym today and my quads feel like they are going to rip off of my legs. Ahh yes, the burn. It feels good to be back :)

Weekend Shopping: Banana Republic & Bobbi Brown

I am thrilled to report that this week's shopping trip was an unexpected success!  I ventured over to the Galleria with high hopes that I'd finally find some garments that I liked enough to buy.

Banana Republic had the entire store at 30% off this weekend and I scored two incredible dresses.  I don't buy the same garment in various colors very often, but this dress was so cute, flattering and work-appropriate that I just had to get it in both colors.  They were on sale for $41.99 each plus 30% off. I paid about $60 for both.

They don't look like much on the hanger, but when you see them on, I think you'll agree they are very cute!

My final clothing purchase was this gorgeous long cardigan from Armani Exchange.  Initially, I bought a long, oatmeal-colored cardigan at Nordstrom for $69.00 but when I stopped in at Armani Exchange, I liked the one I tried on there so much better and I went and returned the one I had gotten just 15 minutes before at Nordstrom. Yep, I was THAT customer. But a great LONG cardigan is hard to come by.  The Armani one was a little more at $88 but is much more interesting than the plain one I had purchased before. IRL it's a soft, dusty lilac color.

Lastly, I visited one of my favorite makeup counters, Bobbi Brown.  The girls there were SO sweet and helpful!  I picked up blush in the color "pale pink" because I read on The Possesionista's blog (in an interview she had with The Bachelor's Michelle Money) that it's the one she uses. Michelle's makeup was always so pretty on the show so I decided to try it out. It's similar to Bobbi Brown's peony but more of a cooler-toned pink. I also bought another long-wear gel liner because I was running low. This time, I got the color Black Plum which is a matte deep purple infused with black...it looks kind of like a purple infused with brown. Very pretty.

Did you have any luck shopping this weekend?  Let me know what you got in the comments below!

xoxo,

Veronika.

Weekend Shopping: Paris, Here I Come (Baby, It's Cold Outside)

I woke up at 5 a.m. this morning to do a quick work thing where I had to be on-site somewhere.  I wore a tee, my VS PINK thermal hoodie and my Zara jacket that I bought for our trip to Paris.

Let's just say that being outside even for 5 minutes felt awful even though I was wearing layers. I finally came to terms with the fact that my lined wool jacket just wasn't going to cut it in the freezing Pairs temperatures. I've been in denial all this time. "I'll layer!" I said confidently. "I'll wear polar fleece underneath!" I assured myself. Alas, I realized that the thin wool coat I have does not actually prevent wind from going through it, which is why my teeth were clacking as the wind lashed through my not-so-warm layers.

You can imagine my predicament on one of the busiest shopping days of the year---finding a down-filled jacket for under $300 was a challenge I didn't want to take on today---battling the traffic and parking space madness was already too much for me (Dear dude in the Dillards parking lot---thanks for blatantly pulling into a parking space when I was in fact signaling that it was mine, and then "shrugging your shoulders" when I tried to point out I was there first. Merry Christmas).

First, I tried a store called Whole Earth Provisions Co. which was good in theory but all of their down coats were the North Face and other pricey brands---I didn't want to pay $300 for a coat I was buying for one occasion.

I also tried Old Navy which was a fail...then I went to Nordstrom Rack...another fail.

Moving on.

I finally struck gold at Macy's where I found a MICHAEL KORS coat for 60% OFF! I couldn't believe my luck because it's exactly what I was looking for.  It was originally $265---I paid $103. Sweet lord was I ever happy!  It even made up for my parking lot experience.

Oh yes. I am going to be toasty and stylish, my vacation dream come true! 

Speaking of toastiness, behold my new gloves. Warm and cozy. I got them at Marshall's for $12.99:

Also from Marshall's this travel bag. I plan to bring this as my carry-on with things like my makeup products (no liquids), my camera and other pricier items or things I'll need on the flight.  It was $16.99.  Usually I take a large purse with me, but I'd rather have more room this time around since we'll be gone a longer time.

It's got side pockets and comes with a little baggie inside that matches to keep change in...or whatever else might fit that you need to store.

Finally, I got this cute tank at Marshall's for $7.99. It's super long and it's made of that comfy stretchy fabric.

My last purchase of the day was from Banana Republic. Right now they're having a 40% off of your ENTIRE PURCHASE sale---so go while it's still on (until tomorrow, Sunday Dec. 19). It's a great sale if you still have some last-minute gift-buying to do.

I got this cozy sweater (um, can I use the word cozy any more in this entry?) It's a light oatmeal color with super soft baby pink stripes. It's so soft and warm. I just love it.

This isn't a purchase---but the lovely Candice lent me this pretty sweater for my trip. It's so holidays! I love it :)

More to come this weekend.  I'm going to do a ton of laundry tonight so packing can commence.  I'm kind of stressed out about packing but I know I'll get it done and it will be just fine :)  I will definitely do an entire post about it.

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend (and if someone tries to take YOUR parking spot, just yell "Merry Christmas" at them, like I did.)

xoxo,

Veronika.

Weekend Shopping: Hunter Boots, Nordstrom Rack, Sephora & Banana Republic

I'm sipping a cup of mint tea after a long day of shopping with my H.  We had an awesome day together---breakfast and lattes at Starbucks, shopping and then a late lunch/early dinner at Chuy's (a Mexican food place in our area.)

Our shopping began at Nordstrom Rack so I could use our $50 Groupon.

I got a dress by Andrew Marc.  I think it was originally about $148 and I got it for $49.  I really like the way it fits and it's great for work because it hits just above my knee.

I also picked up a black lace-trim slip by SPANX!  If you ever need SPANX, Nordstrom Rack is the way to go---the slip was just $33 there!

It's nice to wear shapewear under fitted skirts and dresses---it really smooths everything out. I also love the lace trim because I remember seeing Lauren Conrad having a black lace slip sticking out of a black dress she wore in her new style book.  I just thought it was such a cute look with a little vintage flair to it.

I never wore slips before this year---I needed to buy a nude one this past summer for some of my white dresses. I now feel that they are essential for certain skirts and dresses so I'm glad to own a black one.

Next, we went to OLD NAVY and I returned that gray fairisle print sweater that I bought a few weeks ago.  I thought it was very cute but I just never wore it so I felt like it was pointless for it to be sitting in my closet like that.

After those trips we headed to the Galleria mall.  Banana Republic was having a 25% off of everything sale so I picked up this adorable skirt.  It is SO flattering on.  It just sits like no other skirt I own.  It's from their heritage collection. I got a size 6 in this one---the 4 fit but was a bit snug---I would say to size up on this one---but it could just be my hips---if you're not hippy, stay with your regular size.

I know it doesn't look like much on the hanger---but I promise when you put it on it's just lovely!

Next up, I got another bottle of the Phyto Relaxing Balm at Sephora using my coupon. This is one of my HG hair products!

We also hit up Nordstrom where I returned a MAC blush I bought.  It's called "pink swoon" and it's apparently the blush Kim Kardashian uses.  Honestly, I didn't love it.  I think MAC blushes in general tend not to impress me. The only one I use/like is "Well Dressed."  I just find MAC blushes not to be that pigmented and the colors just seem to not work for me as much.  My favorite blush is definitely Bobbi Brown.

I don't know if I had mentioned this before, but I had to get a new pair of my Jessica Simpson boots because they had a rip in the back after wearing them less than 10 times.  Basically the back seam just ripped open.  Nordstrom was awesome and gave me a completely new pair. I wore them today to "break them in" again and let me tell you, that may have not been the best idea because my feet were killing me after a couple of hours. 

Luckily, I decided to try on the Hunter High Gloss Black Boots while I was at Nordstrom and I ended up loving them so much that I bought them---and wore them out of the store!  I am definitely going to bring these to Paris.  They are SO comfy.  I realized today that I didn't have any waterproof boots which is not good since it's so cold and snowy and wet sometimes in Europe.  So I took the plunge and got them.  It rains a lot in Houston so I'm sure I'll get a lot of use out of them.

and on me...

Remember ladies---you have to size down in these. I wear a 10 and had to get a 9 in these and they are perfect!  I think they are so cute!  I plan to wear big wooly socks with them to keep my feet warm.  When I was at Nordstrom I ended up chatting with another customer and she told me she just got back from Paris and it's really really cold there---she told me she actually wore her UGGS the entire time so I'm definitely going to bring mine!

Lastly, I picked up these Turbie Twist hair towels at Bed, Bath & Beyond.  I heard they dry your hair way better than normal towels so I'm excited to try them---maybe it will cut down blow-drying time (I can only hope!)

Did you buy anything today?  Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo,

Veronika.

Weekend Finds & Lauren Conrad Style Book Review

Happy Sunday everyone!  Today Kevin and I went to Rice Village to try and find a coat for him for our trip.  We didn't have any luck at any of the stores we checked out, so we'll probably have to try the Galleria next week. It's more difficult to find stylish, heavier coats here in Houston since it doesn't get that cold here, even in the winter.

Today it was SO hot out. I mean like you could lay out by the pool hot...and it's nearly November!

Banana Republic was having a 20% off everything in the store sale today so we got a few things there and Kev got a new sweater at Express.  Here's what I got:

Black dress from Zara- I actually bought this yesterday but forgot to include it.  It's a perfect length for work and very soft and comfy.

Bath and Body works Wallflowers.  I absolutely love these. They keep the house smelling awesome. They were on sale 2 packs for $20 plus I got 20% off of my purchase using a coupon.

GAP "always skinny" jeans.  I got black ones.  I got these in a 28 (size 6) I like the way they fit and love that they have the stretch in them because they are much comfier than my always skinny destroyed ones which are just a denim without stretch.  I used a GAP Groupon and a store credit so these technically only cost me $45.

I love this satin top from Banana Republic's Monogram Collection. It was on sale for $31.99 and I got an additional 30% off.  I love tops that have detailing at the neckline like this. It almost acts as an accessory, no necklace needed!

Yesterday at Sephora I tried on a bit of this glittery gold nailpolish and I thought- it's perfect for the holidays!  I like to do my nails Lorraine-style and just paint glitter on one nail (it is a PAIN to get off.)  So I picked this up today.  I also ordered some stuff online because Sephora is having their Friends & Family sale (20% off everything on the site, use code FF2010).

I stopped by at MAC and picked up a Mineralize skin finish natural in Medium-Plus. I have seen a lot of bloggers and YouTubers using these powders and although my MAC Studio Fix is my Holy Grail powder, I thought I'd give this a go. If I don't like it, I can return it (I was not aware MAC had a return policy like this.)

 
 Here is is compared to my Studio Fix in C3 (on the right). The C3 is definitely a bit more yellow. I tend to enjoy yellow-toned foundations because they give a brightness to my skin.

I will report back when I've had a chance to use it.

I snapped some shots of my favorite parts of Lauren Conrad's Style book and wanted to share them here.  While I didn't think the book provided any ground-breaking information, it did give me a few cute ideas. My favorite feature was the Little Black Dress five different ways: (click to enlarge)

 

I really love the black lace slip under the dress in the first photo (from the left) I have been trying to find one online ever since I saw it with no luck!  I think it's great to have that one fabulous black dress in your closet that can really be styled so many different ways.  Every woman needs one of those dresses!

Here are a few of my other favorite shots from the book:

 Ohh a PINK bag!

Her hair and makeup are always so pretty and I love how she sticks to a signature look.  I feel I'm the same way. I know how I like my hair and makeup to look, and I stick with a look that works for me.  It's nice to try different things, but my hair has been every color in the book and I've tried different hair lengths...I've finally found a look I love (my current) and I'm sticking to it!

Lauren shows how a dress goes from day (office) to night (dinner)

Dear gorgeous rosette dress, I am in love with you. That is all.

Bottom line- if you love Lauren Conrad, I think you will like this book. The information isn't ground-breaking or something you haven't heard before, but it has great photos and great tips on things like organizing your closet, shopping better and even packing. 

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

xoxo,

Veronika.

PS- did you miss Motivation Mondays this week?  Check it out HERE!

Lulu helping me blog!