Boots-Agaci, Belt-Vintage, Rabbit fur sweater-Old Navy, Tights-H&M

I love how sometimes you can throw together bits and pieces from two different worlds and end up with something you love. Take this button up and key winter knit for instance that I paired with a maxi skirt and combat boots-love it so much that I don’t want to take it off! It’s such a comfortable outfit that works for both the weekend or the office. It gives off a very put together vibe with my collar buttoned all the way. But then, the blue polka dot tights and grungy combat boots say something completely different.  Instead of lady like demure-it’s more like, bring it on world cause I’m fearless and ready for you!

Anyway, in the winter I’m always up for experimenting with items that contrast in order to create something new and exciting. Sometimes it works…sometimes not so much…I do however, always remember to belt it all in so I don’t lose my shape or get eaten alive by a maxi skirt.

Cheers,
Elsie

ps. follow me on Twitter to keep up with new posts!

fur vest-old, peeptoes-asos, bag-Target, pants-Banana Republic

Hi!

Just wanted to quickly upload an office outfit in case you’re in need of some “office outfit inspiration.”

The fur vest trend is huge (so happy!) so grab your fave faux fur vest and layer it over a thin sweater.  Put on some nice fitted dress pants and to finish it off, add your fave skinny belt to define that waist you work hard for!

Just remember to switch into your peep toes (or pumps or booties) once you reach the office-especially if it’s as cold there as it is here!

Midweek…almost there!

Elsie
pssst bloglove it!

Say you are invited to a grown up version of a house party for New Years, a fancy soiree-what do you wear? A little tiny sequined number normally attuned to a club setting might not make sense as there will probably be more light than at a club so you don’t want to show too much skin. However, you still have to be a little sexy-It’s New Year’s after all!

Considering that it’s the middle of January I hope that you were able to achieve the perfect look this past New Year’s Eve. I found the perfect outfit in a black leather A-line skirt from H&M and a lace top paired with shiny accessories like glitter heels and my oversized Michael Kors golden watch. I added polka dot tights to keep it fun and elegant and showed off a golden manicure. I kept the make up warm and neutral with gold eyeliner and peach blush (Snuggle by Everyday Minerals), but I did add fake eyelashes for impact.

I stuck with black and gold but the key is to keep it interesting by pairing different textures together. Leather is edgy and lace is romantic so I was happy with the contrast. I think this party look is a keeper. What did you end up wearing?

ps. check out a crazy neon version of one of these shots by clicking here

yes yes I suck at this…..

moving on.

Officially obsessed with pleats. Obsessed with lace. Ahhh and the red lips-so glamorous. It really makes a difference in how you feel-even if all you’re doing is cleaning the toilet (um, its been done). Surprisingly it hasn’t been that difficult to incorporate lipstick into my daily routine. It’s fun to try out different looks. Give it a try!

Before it gets too warm (again, crazy), I wanted to show a weekend outfit I lived in this winter. I own this sweater in different colors from different stores and I absolutely love it.  I pretty much lived in it all winter. Of course I alternated the boots, blazer, and belt. But the idea remained the same: casual, chic, warm and comfortable. Until next winter…I hope.

Hunter Boots
Vintage Blazer
Thrifted Belt
H&M Leggings
Target Purse

Now:

And front:

Sooo…

Pretty much all I want is for fall to come back. It provides the best weather for fashionable weekend outfits.  Now the goal is to bundle up as much as I can even if fashion gets thrown out the door sometimes (only sometimes).

As some of you may know, Chicagoland received almost 2 feet of snow this past week.  It was the 3rd snowiest in history.  And it was terrible! And driving still is.  Though, we did get a snow day at work which was pretty great   I only have to wait eight more months until fall returns.  Although, summer wouldn’t be too bad either.  Oh well, I guess I’ll have to be content with winter activities. But oh, how I miss those fall colors!

Wearing:

• Bag / Asos leather satchel
• Blazer / Thrifted
• Cutoff Shorts / DIY
• Bow Kitten Heels / Andrea
• Tights / H&M

I’m sure you all read all the wonderful reports that came out last year about the timeless 2010 fall trends. I don’t know about you but I fell absolutely in love. The trends really are timeless, and beautiful, and cozy. I cannot count the times I’ve worn this color combination already. First, camel dress shorts with denim, camel trousers with denim, and here, a lovely camel skirt from H&M with my favorite denim shirt. I really hope you jumped on that bandwagon when the pieces first arrived in stores because I definitely find myself going back to them over and over again.

The cape I’m wearing, I found in Mexico December 2009. I had a feeling they were going to be big, so I made that amazing purchase right away. No regrets there.

This is the bag I’ve been using this winter. Nowadays I tend to change bags by season. It’s a super cozy bag from 2006. After Chanel unveiled their fall collection last year, I knew it would be time to dig this baby out. I loved it back then, I love it now.

Like I’ve said before, it’s cold, so the fall/winter 2010 trends are still going strong in my closet.

Oh yesss, this is where my fall trends vintage photo story begins…

capes, denim, camel

Fall 2010 was probably my favorite season yet, because it can easily live forever.

Wearing
Cape / Market in Mexico
Skirt with belt / H&M Fall 2010
Denim Shirt / Chalotte Russe 2010
Boots / Charlotte Russe Winter 2009 (still get tons of compliments)

Enjoy the rest of your week. Dress well. Make it worth your while.

Love,
Elsie

I have to say that I love the result. The tough Military boots with the olive green trousers made me feel powerful, but the lace reminded me of a prim and proper “can’t do no harm” girlie girl. And of course the beige fur vest on top made me feel like a rock star more than anything else. For work I opted for the fitted blazer instead. I thought perhaps fur might be too much for the office, but I might change my mind about that soon. Which look do you prefer?

I’m starting to read a lot about the spring trends, but considering it’s 20 degrees outside and snowing, I think for now (and probably for a while) I will continue to stay loyal to the fall/winter trends. Remember layering is key…especially in the wonderful Midwest, and a great red lip doesn’t hurt either.

Oh and P.S. if you work in a more serious office environment than mine and wanted to make this look even more “office appropriate” complete the outfit with nude heels instead. I would have…but again not in this weather…

Have a good night/day!

~Elsie

Wearing:

- Lace top: Forever 21
- Fur Vest: Super old
- Fitted Blazer: H&M
- Green Trousers: Stole from dad’s closet
- Boots: A’gaci

I haven’t written in a while. But Dear Blog I have thought about you quite a lot and there are a few realizations that have surfaced.

- I really want to do this! I really really want to do this, but more than anything I want/need the energy to do this.

- I have commitment issues. Since I was 11 I would always start random personal websites (dot-com craze, I wanted mine too!) and then quit after a month or three. Life would be so good if I would have stuck with at least one of them.  But I was 11, can you blame me?

- I think I lack time, but really it’s there. I was originally a journalism major. Writing was my passion. Why don’t I do it enough anymore? It’s time consuming. I want to be dedicated again but for that I need to take advantage of my time.

- And most importantly, I need to do this for me, myself and I. No matter what happens, even if nobody reads what I write.

There are a few things that need to change in my life. The worst part of it, is that I know what they are and I just can’t motivate myself to change them.  Have you ever felt in a rut like this? It really is terrible.  I know that getting a bit more serious about this blog, has the potential to heal me.  So I decided I’m going to do it, I’m going to stick with it in my own way.  More than anything because I will use it as a therapy (a wayyy cheaper version).

I will write what I want, when I want (hopefully often).  I was a PR major in college, I know that blogs are supposed to be targeted and consistent, and stick to a topic or two in order for them to succeed, but do they really have to? I don’t want it to feel like I job, or like something I have to do every single day, because I don’t want to feel like a failure if it doesn’t work out that way.  And who knows it may actually turn into an intense thing for me in the future (I really have no way of telling).

All I know is that I want to write for the fun and freedom of it.  In other words, for me.  I know this probably sounds awful maybe even mean, and I know that because of this I can’t expect any followers to full on commit.  All I do ask is that if you like some of what you see/read that you hop on by once in a while.  It’s nice to get feedback sometimes, so that you don’t feel totally and completely insane.  Perhaps, maybe somebody out there understands where I’m coming from?

I love writing, which is why this has never been a typical style blog with minimal writing.  I apologize if you hate reading long blogs, but I like ranting and complaining and unfortunately that can easily add up to a 300+ word entry.  And I think ranting will provide the most therapy, and this is what it is after all right?  Other times though, I agree that photographs can speak even more, so hopefully you’ll see more of that.  I have tons I took this summer but then fall/winter came and I was too lazy to post anything.

There I said it, I’ve been lazy. Laziness is the culprit of my lack of motivation.  My boyfriend always jokes that I’m a sleepy Mexican, because it runs in my blood, and oh boy am I starting to believe it.  But it’s time for change.

3 Main Goals for the New Year

1. Exercise.  I hear that’s what gives you energy and takes the sluggish feeling away so that’s what I need to do. Not to lose weight, but to gain energy.  Isn’t this on everyone’s list?

2. Write.  Because I really need to do something interesting with my life right now.  And because I enjoy meeting other bloggers, and having your own blog is a great way to connect.  And because it was my first love.

3. Get a job I love.  I have a great job, or rather a job that provides a good income but really I need to get over that.  I’m still young and at this time have minimal responsibilities so it’s probably better to take that pay cut now than later.  For sure, by the fall I will be somewhere else (that’s the deadline I’m giving myself).  It’s exciting to know that I really have no idea where I will be this October. Preferably in a job where I don’t have to stare a computer screen all day so that I won’t avoid my computer when I get home. What are the chances of that happening in this day in age?

To wrap things up. Change is a good thing. I met an old friend for lunch today, and we talked about some projects that really got me excited (she’s fashion crazed like myself). I missed that feeling. I forgot how motivating she can be. I always thought she was but now that girl is in overdrive. She tried talking some sense into me. It really got me thinking that I can’t just wait around and expect things to magically happen. You have to work hard…really really hard. Seeing her do it really put things in perspective. I feel like some of her energy rubbed off on me today and I want to embrace it.

January is the perfect time to really kick things off.

I would love it if you stuck around, or hopped on back randomly, cause like I said, I have no idea which direction anything will take at this point and I really don’t want to be totally alone.  And if you don’t come back well, then at least I’m still taking advantage of the free therapy right?

Have an awesome 2011…Make it the year for change, I mean, Happy New Year?

~ Elsie

Twitter: @elsieayala

About the outfit: I love the combination of red and khaki. Though hard to tell on here, up close these pants are an interesting mix of gray and camel, the color of the season. I really enjoy nude colors, they seem to mix seamlessly with anything, especially the shade of these particular pants.  I hate to sound like everyone else, but camel is definitely my favorite color of the season. I wore this to the office a couple of days ago. The weather has certainly been kind of crazy and unpredictable lately. It will be cold one day and rather hot the next. It’s nice though, because I can still sometimes pair my work outfits with lovely summer sandals like these.

This shirt is my favorite “work” shirt, I can make it work with anything (no pun intended). I feel pretty, girlie, and sophisticated.  I think the trick is in the ruffles.  To make yourself feel instantly pretty, make sure to try them out.  I am also wearing a pair of earrings that I found in Mexico and they seem to match perfectly, right down to the exact color pattern. I have to admit that this outfit is kind of matchy matchy, but I don’t really mind that sometimes.

The leaves are changing colors and rapidly falling, one of the best parts of the great Midwest.  I hope you are enjoying the season as much as I am.

Thank you so so much for dropping by. Keep in touch. And, have an amazing October weekend!

~ Elsie

Wearing:
Bag / Vintage Coach
Pants / Gap
Belt / Banana Republic