Thursday, October 31, 2013

67:365

For your viewing pleasure, I have included some pics of my kitties wearing their Halloween constumes!

As I was reflecting back on prior Halloweens, I noticed a pattern. A pattern that was unintentional. Starting in middle school, I have been an inanimate object every year for Halloween. Now I won't bore you with the details, but one year, my brother and I were a pair of silverware. Yes, it's possible. We basically wrapped ourselves in foil, and voila! Silverware. To top that off, we were disco silverware.  Not sure what that is?  It's when you put a glow stick necklace around your neck. Duh.



As we were leaving to go to the Halloween party, we were convinced that we were going to win the costume competition. Who could compete with us? Yeah right. Hands down, not EVEN a competition. We showed up and people were impressed to say the least. They would say things like, "You guys are brilliant, how did you think of such an amazing costume?" And "Should I even vote?  You guys are clearly the winners.  Hey everybody, I found the winners of the costume contest." And "Dang you guys sure know how to wear foil." And "My Talledega Nights costume isn't even close to as cool as your disco silverware getup."  Warning: Some of the previous quotes may have been slightly exaggerated.
Help!  The turtle has me by the neck!

With our chests puffed out and our noses held high, we practically just walked over to the awards stand, snagging the prizes on the way. Oh, but wait. Harry Potter, along with two people in a cow costume, showed up, and if you haven't noticed from your own experience, Harry Potter ruins every party. That's right, you thought Harry Potter was this innocent little kid.  NO.  No he is not. He ruins Halloween parties.  Because his costume apparently is better then a legitimate pair of disco silverware. That little punk strategically showed up just in time for the voting.  People were blown away!  They said things like, "Wow, she really does look like Harry Potter."  And "No you idiot, that IS Harry Potter." She sure pulled the broomstick over our eyes...
Where'd Taz go?
Bottom line.  The cow and Harry Potter took first and second place, and there wasn't a third place. It was preposterous! Who doesn't have a third place award when giving out awards?! Sorry - competitive side of me just let loose.

Take-away from this story?  Lock the door and throw away the key and don't let cows and Harry Potter into any parties.

Bella is slowly being eaten by an angry turtle.
Jennica

PS-Stay tuned for my costume!  It was a little tricky to take a pre-pic, ya know...?

Meet Mona Lisa
She wore fake eyelashes because in real life she has none.

School Costume
For school I wore the above costume.  The other teachers in my POD wanted to do something together so we all wore crazy wigs.  Also, with my Mona Lisa costume, I wouldn't be very mobile to take pictures and participate in the Harvest Party.  I have to say, I was kinda fun to be able to twirl my hair again!

As for the Mona Lisa costume, I literally have no idea how I came up with it.  Here were the steps to making my costume:


  1. Order a poster online 2ft.X3ft.
  2. Staple the poster to a large piece of cardboard.
  3. Use scissors to perforate the edge of what you want to cut out.
  4. Remove.
  5. Wear.
  6. Be awesome.
Happy Halloween!!









Wednesday, October 30, 2013

66:365

Poncho by VeronicaM, pants by Mine, boots by Born ______.   I couldn't tell what the second word was - it had worn off...

The Outfit.
This top is an interesting print, but I still love it!  The poncho.  It's great because it's literally flattering on anyone. No matter your body type, you can pull this off.  As long as you don't have a boyfriend that calls it your big bird shirt, you'll be fine. It apparently has wings...only boys would think of things like that. ;) Since there are earth tones in the top, I thought I could get away with wearing brown boots.  If I had a pair that was more of a camel color, that would be ideal, but I don't!

The Thoughts.
My friends always give me a hard time because whenever I go (went) shopping, I can always find something I love, and come home with something "fun".  Apparently describing things as "fun" is a girl term that doesn't make sense to some people with the initials JB.  Apparently a clothing item can't be "fun".  For the first time ever, I Googled the definition of fun and here is what I got. Fun: Enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure.  I guess JB is right and it doesn't really describe clothes, but news flash. It ain't neva gonna stop. :)  "OMG, that dress is SO fun." All that to say, maybe you're not like me, but if you choose to go shopping as something to do, you have a 100% increased likelihood of finding something that is "fun" and you have to have! This turns in to you spending unplanned money.  Let's say you find $25 worth of clothes or stuff for that matter that you have to have every week. That equates to $100 per month, which equates to $1200 a year. Hmmm, the options are endless of what I could do with that $$! I'm not saying you would be rich, but it would definitely open up some pretty sweet Price is Right doors!
Think twice.  Do the math.
Jennica






The Makeup.
Top: Power Volume 24H. Middle: Lash Out Butterfly
My favorite at the moment is Power Volume 24H!
Let's talk about mascara. Truth is, if I were on a stranded island, I would bring mascara. It's is such a simple piece of makeup, that makes a big difference in drawing attention to our eyes, and opening them up. Now I've tried all the high end, super expensive brands. I'm not complaining, I loved my Armani mascara and my Dior Show as well. But I always revert back to a drug store brand! I am in love with L'oreal. They are always coming out with a new type of mascara, and most of them are incredible. My favorite at the moment is the Voluminous Lash in blackest black. I wear waterproof, but the non waterproof is just as great. I also just tried the Butterfly mascara and it was fine, but didn't really seem much different than the Voluminous.  So take your pick, but definitely pick up a L'oreal mascara next time you're at your local drug store.

XOXO

Courtney





Tuesday, October 29, 2013

65:365

Sweater by BCBG, jeans by Cello, heels by Report.

Longer sweaters are fabulous because you can wear them with anything. Skinny jeans, boot cut jeans, leggings. They're a catch-all for a quick outfit. The jeans I'm wearing are the jeans that I ruined, attempting to get a coffee stain out of them, but instead of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, I chose to keep them and force myself to make them work. Therefore, I had to wear a long sweater, to cover up the monstrous stain on my hip. It worked.  I bet you wouldn't even have noticed ;).


Compliments. I'm sure you've received a compliment or two, or five, or a million in your lifetime. But what I've noticed in giving compliments, especially to women, is that women have a really hard time accepting them. Is our self-esteem so low that even when someone is acknowledging something great about us, we can't believe that it's true. We look at the floor, we say "yeah right, whatever," we change the subject - anything to get the attention off ourselves. Heaven forbid the light be shone on a bright spot in our lives. Can you relate? Are you looking in the mirror right now? What do you see?  Because when I look at you, I see beauty. I see a twinkle in your eye. I see you. And that's the most gorgeous you I know.


Be confident. When complimented, look him/her in the eye and say, "Thank you" with a smile. Be you. Accept you.

Jennica 


Monday, October 28, 2013

64:365

Top by BCBG, black skinnies by Jessica Simpson, wedges by Cole Haan.

It may be hard to tell from the pic, but my top is navy blue and beige, and I'm wearing it with black. I've always had such a hard time making navy work with clothes.  But while working during my short stint with BCBG, I was given permission to wear navy and black!  Maybe that's nothing new for you, but this has made my life so much easier!  Now, I wouldn't wear solid navy with solid black, but if you have a printed top, like me, it works great.

I've had multiple people approach me and inquire how I manage to keep track of what I have and haven't worn throughout my Project 365.  It may seem like a very daunting task, but there's actually a simple solution.  After I wear something, I turn the hanger backwards so then I can tell that I've worn it.  As far as which combos I've worn together, I'm relying on memory.  I can also quickly skim through my pics on my computer if my memory slows down.  I hear it happens often after turning 30.


So now that you know my simple little trick, then maybe you can try that too!  Wouldn't it be interesting to know what you haven't worn after 6 months of getting dressed every day?  That'll help you clean out your closet quick!!

Happy Monday Y'all.

Jennica


Sunday, October 27, 2013

63:365

Burn out shirt by Alternative, jeans by Odyn Copenhagen, shoes by TOMS.

Today was a comfy day.  I managed to file a stack of papers a mile high, reorganize my pantry, clean my kitchen, vacuum, do laundry, take pics for my blog, write my blog and will be getting to bed at a decent time! This is a miracle. This may not seem like an extremely productive day to you, but I'm set up for the week, and will be able to catch up on things like mending and preparing my halloween costume for Thursday. Ahhh, it feels good to be productive.

You may be wondering about the random brand of jeans I have on. I actually bought them in Boston, when I went to visit while my brother was at a conference. I was in my favorite, quaint part of Boston, Little Italy, also called the North End. It was just me, my camera, the bay, and the cobblestone streets. I wandered aimlessly, as time was a distant memory. I stumbled across old churches, Paul Revere's home, and unique shops lining the infinite cobblestone.  I eventually came across a tiny little boutique cleverly named Injeanius.  Clearly specializing in jeans, my mind was blown when I saw jeans from floor to ceiling and ceiling to floor!  I fell to my knees and cried, "Lord, I'm in heaven! Glory hallelujah!" After finally coming to my senses and realizing that crowds of people had gathered with perplexed looks on their faces, wondering if they should prepare for the second coming, I dusted off my knees, got to my feet and began frantically peeling jeans off of every shelf.

The unfortunate part of this moment was that I had just graduated college and was a substitute teacher A.K.A not rolling in the dough. In order to curb my jean obsession for little while, I managed to find a reasonably priced pair of jeans that I loved, and were different than the ones I already had. After making the purchase, I continued to meander through Little Italy, capturing the essence through my Canon lens.  

You would not have to twist my arm to make me live in Boston.

Jennica





Saturday, October 26, 2013

62:365


Hat and long sleeve pull-over by Nike, leggings by B.P., boots by Fergie

First of all, sorry for the poor quality pic...iPhones don't necessarily compare to Canon equipment, or user error, but we won't point fingers ;).

Today was another epic win for the Ducks!  In the first half, we weren't quite sure how the game was going to wrap up, but yet again, the Ducks had a strong second half.  Clutch.  What's even more clutch, is my friend Emily made the most amazing cookies ever.  Butterscotch oatmeal.  Need I say more. People were trying to give updates when I had come back from a bathroom break, or needed to reload on food.  When I came back, I didn't need updates.  I needed to know where the cookies were.  My boyfriend knows me well, because he just kept passing them to me.  I don't know if that tells more about his character, or my lack of self control, but I just. kept. eating them.  It's a good thing I wore stretch pants today.

Go Ducks.

Jennica

Friday, October 25, 2013

61:365

Long sleeve by Mossimo, jeans by Big Star, shoes by Nike.

Nothin' fancy about my outfit today.  The wheels on the bus go round and round and lucky me -  I get to ride a bus on a field trip to the Oregon Gardens tomorrow.  I wanted to be comfortable and warm so I imagine I'll throw a hoodie on, on my way out the door. I wore the yellow tank underneath to tie in with the yellow in my shoes, and wore shorter-length jeans so they don't drag on the ground.  I hate that...

Tonight, thanks to Groupon, I went to see Gravity in 3-D with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. I sat next to them and it was great.  George kept hogging all the popcorn, and you better believe that Sandra can guzzle soda like nobody's business.  She didn't even give me a sip.


Don't worry - I won't give away the ending, or the middle for that matter, because that really throws ya for a loop ;).  But it was interesting to see a movie where, first off, my boyfriend and I admittedly both had crushes on them growing up (to clarify - mainly he had a man crush on George), and to watch a movie with only 2 actors.  Sandra and George must charge a lot - no budget for extras...but what was fascinating to me is that I was literally on the edge of my seat the entire movie.


Clooney threw in his handful of charmer lines and Sandra did her typical panic attack - I was totally sold on it, BTW, but ultimately I can't imagine being in space.  No gravity.  No oxygen.  No peanut butter - at least not easily accessible...No thanks.  It's like sky diving on crack.  "Whattup, yeah just went sky diving the other day.  Epic."  "Cool Bro, well I went to the FREAKING MOON. Boom roasted."  That might be what a typical convo between two bros would look like, comparing thrill rides.


All that to say, when one takes a risk to do something so extreme, there are extreme rewards and potential extreme consequences.  If you really need me to spell it out, death is one of them.  It's kind of a weird thing to think about because ultimately it happens to everyone, and to be honest I think it's one of my biggest fears.  I don't want to die.  It seems so....anticlimactic. It actually is climactic, because bring on heaven sista!  But it's scary because it's an unknown, and you know how us humans deal with unknowns. TERRIBLY!  Life is short.  Live it fearlessly.  Unless doing extreme sports - traveling in space not excluded.


Jennica


Thursday, October 24, 2013

60:365

Dress by Yetts, heels by Cole Haan.

This dress is great because I literally don't have to try!  I just slip it on and done-zo.  Step into a pair of heels and I'm out the door. I swear dresses are the best invention ever made.  Ladies, if you don't want to try but want to look like you tried, wear a dress. Nuf said.  Color block is a style that will always be around too. It somehow meshes retro and modern and creates a fashion time warp that everyone wants to be in - but we're not going to meet in the middle in the 90's that's for sure!  90's fashion has done us no good.

So I've come to realize that though I don't teach 4th grade anymore, my favorite subject to teach in fourth grade was social studies. To be honest, the soul reason for it being my favorite is because I got to tell this story about Lewis & Clark...

Loooooooong story short, these two guys went on a journey because Thomas Jefferson bought this land and wanted them to explore it.  They said, "Cool, Thomas.  We'll boat and walk across the whole United States for you and check things out, draw maps, build positive relationships with the Native Americans, and find a water route to the Pacific Ocean so that we can trade lots of cool things and report back to you so that you can get all this recognition."  Then Mr. Jefferson said, "Thanks, get on that ASAP."

So, in 1803, Lewis and Clark took off with their possy (Corps of Discovery) and trekked across the US and found lots of cool things other than a water route to the Pacific Ocean - though they found the Pacific Ocean too.  On the way back from the Oregon coast, Lewis and Clark split off from each other for a little bit to explore more territory. Along with other men, Lewis ended up taking a man from the Corps of Discovery named Pierre Cruzatte. with him. He was known for his ability to speak french and could play a mean fiddle ho-down.  But when it came to hunting, it wasn't his forte.

Lewis and Cruzatte had spotted some elk and decided to go hunting.  Now, if you were to ask me, there's NO WAY I would go hunting with a man who is blind in one eye, and near-sighted in another.  You might as well put a nail through my coffin. Well, Lewis wasn't on his A-Game. They were out trying to hunt the elk and had taken separate routes in attempts of catching dinner. Sure enough, Cruzatte thought he spotted the perfect elk and fired away! Unfortunately, it was the perfect. shot.  He nailed Lewis in the smack dab in the @$$!  Right cheek.  Boom!  Bullet. Dinner caught.  I have to say, after shooting Lewis in a measly attempt to catch dinner, I'm not sure Cruzatte wanted to be grubbin' at the dinner table that night...Dog house FO SHO.

After that, Lewis and Clark started calling "Marco" and "Polo" to find each other and then finished the journey triumphantly together.

The End.

                                                         Consider yourself taught.

                                                         Jennica


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

59:365

Maxi by Matty M, Lace knit top by Soprano, wedges by Guess.

Do you have a maxi dress hanging in your closet and are having a hard time busting it out with this funky weather? Freezing in the morning, hot in the afternoon. Me too, but I wanted to show you how you can take that fabulous maxi and stretch it through another season. Throwing a light knit top or cardigan is a simple solution. The reason I chose to wear a knit over the top is because, not going to lie, most of my maxi dresses have a lower neck line, so the knit top transforms it into a modest outfit in a flash! I could also see this dress look stunning with an open-draped sweater. So don't shelve your maxi yet, there's still time! Now Courtney is going to walk you through hair and makeup to go with your fab maxi dress combo.

Ciao Bellas!
Jennica


Thoughts From Courtney.

This chevron maxi is a very chill style.  I love maxi dresses because they are flattering on everyone because they create length, especially with this print.  It also has a very classy and somewhat elegant appeal. This lace  off-the-shoulder top is so fun and playful. Let's stick with this theme by rocking high, messy ponytail.  It's fun, flirty and creates a nice amount of movement, but chill like the chevron print.  








The Tools.

For a high messy pony you will need a brush, a back comb brush or comb, a one inch curling iron, medium hold hairspray and an elastic. 







The Steps.

1. Curl all your hair in big chunks.  The curls don't need to be perfect, just adds movement.  

2. Once curled, pull all of your hair into a super high ponytail.  To do this I flip my head over to get all my hair onto the very top of my head.  

3. Wrap the elastic around it to secure it.  

4. Then backcomb the curls at the base to add body.  I like to loosen the front part of my hair so it doesn't have a 'slicked' look.  But you can do what you prefer. Sometimes I even pull a few pieces down around my ears to add a little more messy to it.  

5. Spray the whole look with the hairspray and you're done!  

6. To complete this look, add some winged eyeliner for a little more glam.  
Smile, be bold and know your beauty!  

XOXO Courtney

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

58:365

Dress by Angie, sweater by Moth, shoes by BCBG.

So first of all, I watched The Voice for the first time this season, and I'm sorry, but what is Adam doing with that beard??  Yeah, supposedly beards are cool and all, but I think we're gettin' a little scraggly aren't we Adam?  What made matters worse, is he wore a hawaiian shirt during one of the coaching session.  He can pull a lot of things off but that's a BIG no no. I don't care who you are.

Second of all, Blake Shelton.  He's just funny.

Third of all, Christina Aguelera's voice will never get old!

As far as my outfit goes, I actually bought this sweater specifically to go with this dress.  What's great about a dress like this, is that the multi-colored pattern allows one to pull out the different colors using jewelry, cardigans, heels, etc.  So hopefully I won't have trouble mixing and matching down the road!

Ta ta for now!

Jennica


Monday, October 21, 2013

57:365

Blouse by Elena Solano, skirt by Tulle, heels by Lulu Townsend.

Ladies, if you can't tell, I love high-waisted clothes!  Even if you think you can't pull off the look, I want to you as least give it a try. Somewhere like Nordstrom will really help you out in finding the right look/style.  I know it's not necessarily for everyone, but you might be surprised at how you feel. ;)

I've been thinking lately about water.  We use it for everything. Washing dishes, washing clothes, drinking, cleaning, brushing our teeth, showering, the list goes on.  I've been thinking about how I leave the water running when I'm brushing my teeth.  I use more water than I need to in order to clean my dishes the first time only to put them in the dishwasher where more water will be used to actually clean them.  I don't even want to talk about how long my showers are...


I remember learning about saving electricity and water in fourth grade, when my teacher, Mr. Evers, explained how important it was.  He taught us to not leave the refrigerator open longer than we were actually pulling something out or putting something in. He taught us to turn the water off while we were brushing our teeth. And he taught us about the bigger picture and what is impacted by our laziness in wasting water and electricity.  I'm surprised I still remember that, and a lot of good it's doing at the moment...But what's more important is that I'm still thinking about it, and though I've been wasteful in the past, being aware is half the battle.  So I'll do my part to put in more effort to conserve water if you'll do yours.


Jennica



Sunday, October 20, 2013

56:365

Dress by Imaginary Voyage, scarf by Old Navy, hat by Forever 21, sweater by Rubbish, boots by Seychelles.

I've never worn this outfit before.  I actually like it.  I like how it's a transitional outfit for this random cold-to-hot by the minute weather.  My dress is a strapless dress which I love wearing in the summer, and I'm excited that I'm getting a little more use out of it.  If you ever want to pull those dresses, whether strapless, maxi, or backless, through the fall season, throw them on with a sweater and tights!

This afternoon I went to lunch with a friend and our goal in choosing a restaurant was that it had to be somewhere new for both of us.  We ended up at a local joint called Lardo.  If you ever want to have high self-esteem while eating, I wouldn't recommend going to any place called Lardo, but in this instance, it was an exception. With local brews on tap, and a selection of all-things-meat, I ended up choosing a Pork Belly Gyro.  I have a secret obsession with gyros and I now have a secret obsession with Lardo gyros.

The irony of ending up at this restaurant is that I was recently reading the 10th anniversary addition of the Portland Monthly where they were featuring top restaurants in Portland.  As I browsed their selections, everything looked so fancy, it actually looked disgusting and honestly, someone would have to pay me to eat their featured grub.  I hate saying that as Portland, Oregon is a food mecca of the world, however I think sometimes people just try too hard.  I finally landed on a page displaying a scrumptious burger, with a pickle sticking out of a tooth pick on top.  That was the only place from the whole magazine where I would've stepped foot through their doors.

48 hours later.

My friend and I wanted to eat somewhere new.  I couldn't remember the name of the only place in the magazine that looked somewhat appealing.  I then recommended a place that had a cool light up sign in the window and had a picture of a pig.  We somehow made it over to this place that I vaguely described.  As I was waiting in line, a server came out with a delicious looking burger...And what did I behold with my own eyes?  A pickle sticking out of the tooth pick, on top of that delicious looking burger.  I had somehow found the one restaurant I wanted to go to, without remembering the name and without realizing I was even going there!  Destiny, my friends.  Destiny.

Ciao for now!

Jennica


Saturday, October 19, 2013

55:365

Right now, I'm watching through my window as the sun slowly sets, and says 'goodnight' to this stunning fall day, filled with beauty, warmth, and laughter.  It begins to hide behind the tree line as it's reflection in the lake below are a dead giveaway.  I love fall.  I think all people do.  The energy electrifying the air are only evidence of this, though one cannot root back to its source.

Today, for the first time since I've lived in my apartment, finally went downstairs to see the Pumpkin Regatta on the lake.  It has always woken me up in years past and this year I wasn't going to miss it. Partially do to me being reminded via a marching band blasting their tune at six in the morning to promote for a local television.  The city had forgotten that this was also a residency...Apparently I wasn't the only was who was a little alarmed, as I had a well-thought-out apology note taped to my front door.  All that to say, I'm secretly glad I woke up to the band playing the other morning or I would have completely forgotten about it.

Walking around, I saw painted faces, people hitting fake, floating golf balls into the lake - aiming for a plastic pumpkin, painted faces, carefully carved pumpkins, and pumpkins that weighed as much as my car floating in the water next to the foot bridge.  The pumpkin owners were diligently digging out the insides preparing for an aerodynamic race.

As the paddlers were edging the start line, the crowd was cued to count down, "5...4...3...2...1!"  The paddlers exploded off of the start line making the rounds as fast as giant pumpkins could float.  Some paddlers had a hard time even reaching the water with their paddles and made turtle speed through the turns.  With a previous year's winner in the lead, a duck pumpkin with it's ducklings trailing in a close second and the city's mayor fighting for 3rd place, the city experienced a fall tradition that won't be going anywhere any time soon.  And hopefully next year, I won't need the band to wake me up at 6:00 a.m. to remind me of the festivities coming up.

Jennica

Friday, October 18, 2013

54:365

    Today is Crazy Sock day here at my elementary school, hence my super awesome outfit.  Today I am wearing all Nike, except who knows where these socks came from but they have swagger nonetheless. 
     Yes and, yes and, yes and...as women, it's so easy to say yes to everyone and everything that comes along our already-beaten paths.  Women have an innate sense to please no matter the cost, emotionally, physically, or cha-ching! financially.  We want to throw the perfect, most glamorous parties, we want to volunteer for everything, we want to help every single person in need on every corner of the planet, and by all means if our kids want hot cheetos and taqis, we will get them enough for a month's supply.  
     These are all great things in moderation, especially hot cheetos and taqis.  However, if we are literally doing all of these things at a mediocre level, maybe we need to ask ourselves if it's worth it.  Maybe we need to only choose a few things to say yes to, and by saying no to the others, we are allowing doors to be opened for someone else whose looking.

10 Signs that you might be in over your head:

  1. You put the milk in the dishwasher and the glass in the fridge.
  2. You've been looking for your reading glasses all day long and finally found them when they fell off your head while leaning over to flush the toilet.
  3. You get the cats ready for school and wonder why they didn't catch the bus.
  4. You find french fries in your car, and you haven't eaten fries since you went paleo before it was a "thing".
  5. When your alarm goes off in the morning, you smack your spouse in the head and hope it turns off.
  6. You showed up late for an interview and didn't even realize you were applying for a new job.
  7. While you were making breakfast, you cracked open an egg into your freshly poured coffee.
  8. For a second, you fantasized about what it might be like to be in jail where they feed and clothe you and you don't have to lift a pretty little finger.
  9. You bought a month's supply of hot cheetos and taqis for your kids and secretly ate the whole supply while the cats - I mean kids - were at school.
  10. You woke up in vegas with a tiger and a baby in your hotel room and you have no freaking idea where they came from or who they belong to.
Ladies, do yourself a favor.  Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.

Jennica

Thursday, October 17, 2013

53:365

"I DARE you to walk over here."
 Leather coated dress by H&M, heels by Naughty Monkey.

Let's just start off by saying don't run into me in a dark alley.  But in all honesty, I LOVE this dress and it's modern-edgy look. What's even better is that it's a modest length and has a high neck line.  Therefore, I'm wearing it to work.

This dress also brings back memories, because I scored it on my trip to China this summer, and I bought it for a specific purpose. I had only brought casual, breathable, comfortable clothes, but then ended up having an opportunity to attend a business social in downtown Shanghai, in a sophistiswanky (just made up that word but you know exactly what I mean...) industrial building. Used for a showroom by day, shmoozing by night, the glass staircase went on for days and cable railing kept us from falling off the stairs while being disoriented going up.  Bigwigs were going to be there and my brother, businessman extraordinaire, needed to make some connections.



You said WHAT about my cats?!?
So, this is what I wore with statement earrings and teal/snakeskin heels.  Now, I'll probably throw a sweater or blazer on, on my way out the door, but nothing caught my eye while I was planning out my outfits.  Bottom line ladies?  leather, pleather, and coated denim are in!

Now let's just talk about my facial expressions in these pics.  I didn't realize until after I uploaded the pics what my face actually looked like...ha!  I know I already told you I won't quit my day job, but let me just assure you...I WON'T quit my day job. Underneath each picture is the caption of what thoughts could potentially be occupying my mind...

If you have other creative captions to go along with my facial expressions, please leave them in the comment section below! I'm always up for a good laugh;)

Jennica



Honey, you don't even DESERVE to have me look at you.











Wednesday, October 16, 2013

52:365

Black top by Frenchi, pinstriped skirt by No Appt Necessary, belt by ??, heels by Preview International.

Alright folks, we're back in action.  Introducing What to Wear Wednesdays.  Courtney Rogers with Human Beauty and I are going to be partnering on Wednesdays, as well as a few other projects along the way ;), to assist you it getting a complete look head to toe.  I will be your stylist and she will cover the makeup and hair department (she's a pro!!).

Today, I am wearing a classic, high-waisted skirt with a basic black top.  I will let Courtney give her take on my outfit below, but I will leave you with some exciting news!  Today, I'm 1/7th of the way done with my Project 365!!!  I can't believe it.  I only have to do this six more times ;).  

Take it away Court!

Red lips on the runway


I love this sexy chic outfit Jennica is rocking!  It screams a bold statement lip. Maybe because it channels a modern Mad Men vibe, or just because it has enough of a sophisticated edge that it almost requires a statement.  I think wearing a red lip says "I'm confident, I am feminine and I am my own person". This is coming from the eternal nude lip woman, so I am challenging myself, too :)!!!  





Red lip swatches for skin tones

Some secrets on the red lip.  Find a red that compliments your skin tone. Remember on the color wheel, opposites attract, or compliment. Meaning that if you have blue to pink undertones to your skin then opt for cherry or a red pink, or an opaque red.  Avoid an orange red in this case.  If you have olive skin tones you will look ravishing in an orange based red. Darker skin tones compliment more of a maroon red like Armani's Rouge d'Armani #403. A classic red like Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Dragon suits all skin tones and is opaque yet incredibly shiny.  Want to try a red lip, but not ready to invest in a higher end brand?  Go to your local drug store and grab a bold lip from Revlon.  Avoid the long wear lip options as they tend to look chalky, dull and flake off through the day.  A red lip looks good fresh.  It is more high maintenance than 'just gloss', but so worth it.  

Makeup/Hair by Human Beauty

A tip to making your lipstick last:  cover your lips with your foundation, add a matching lip liner onto the entire lip.  Dab on one coat of your lip color, then dab on your HD setting powder on top, add another coat of the lipstick, and voila, that lip is set for hours. 

Thanks for joining us for What to Wear Wednesday, and see you next week!

Ciao Bellas!

Jennica and Courtney

























Tuesday, October 15, 2013

51:365

Button-up shirt by Ideology, sweater by Kersh, jeans by Seven For All Mankind, wedges by Dunkin (I got them at Goodwill-brand from Brazil).

So I bought this sweater a long time ago because I really liked the colors, and then I realized it didn't match anything and was just a little awkward to wear...hence it sits in my closet, lonely and has no one to play with.  Here is my effort to bring it out to play.

Today, my advice to you is if you are thinking about buying a clothing item, think first if you have at least 3 specific pieces you can wear it with.  Even though something might be amazing, if you have to spend more money in order to make it work, then maybe it's not worth taking up space in your closet.

Think before you spend.

Jennica

PS-Not sure what I'm looking at in the last picture...