Reader Question: Brown and Black

We haven't done a reader question in a few months, and I got a great one from Ashley that I felt needed some serious attention because it's something I've struggled with too. Here's her question!

"I don't know if you have every done a post on wearing black and brown together. It has always been something that I am afraid of doing (don't know why). I tend to wear more black than brown but I have a really really cute pair of brown booties that I wish I could wear more."

Ah, Ashley, I feel your pain. I too have purchased things that I wish I could wear more so I'm always struggling to Tim Gunn that bad boy and make it work. In general, it's pretty rare that I pair brown with black but mostly because I'm a color girl, not because of any lingering fashion rules or anything like that. And like most color combos, it's totally fair game when doing it right.

The problem with wearing brown and black together is that it's usually done sloppily and without any direction. As long as you put a little thought into it and don't dress like you're shopping at Walmart at 3 a.m., you can totally pull of a brown and black combo. It's totally sophisticated and is awesome for the winter, when colors tend to be darker and richer anyway.

Can I make you a believer? Here's some ways to make black and brown look on purpose.


Try a Pattern

Vero Moda leopard print top, £22
H M slit skirt, £25
Platform pumps, $33
Clutch bag, $28
Monsoon yellow gold earrings, £7

One of the easiest ways to wear brown and black together is to find a pattern that already has the two colors. It makes the combo a no-brainer since you can wear brown or black and the pattern acts as the unifier for the entire outfit. Leopard is a perfect example... just not a leopard bustier, people. This loose top is perfect because it isn't so va-va-voomy. This skirt is also amazing. I tried it on when I was H&M on Saturday and am kind of kicking myself because I didn't end up buying it. WHY!? Anyway, this top would look just as cute with a brown skirt and the shoes tie in both colors without being too matchy. WIN.

Go Casual

H m cardigan, £15
Hollister Co. faded jeans, $40
Gabriella Rocha buckle boots, $89
Ziba gold earrings, £20
Zara leather belt, $36
Genuine leather belt, £32
Carly Hobo Black - HOLD EVERYTHING - Purses, $44

Another way to try brown and black together is to wear more casual versions of the color. Instead of a chocolate brown, a cognac or tan pairs better with black. Then, look for textures that are casual so that the contrast between the two colors isn't so stark. A knee high slouchy boot with a warm cardigan? Love! Also, you'll notice that the tank underneath has both tones to tie everything together. I have a black tank with brown bows on it and I love how versatile it is... it literally matches everything.

Choose Color

Dorothy Perkins belted dress, £30
Kate Spade fishnet hosiery, $28
H M leather ballerina flat, £13
Dorothy Perkins gray handbag, £20
Pieces chain jewelry, $11
Wet Seal tahitian pearl jewelry, $9.50
Codello vintage shawl, £4

When wearing black and brown together, they don't have to be the main event. By pairing a bright dress (jewel tones look awesome with brown AND black) you can then pull both colors into the accessories, so the look is WAY less obvious. I love the idea of doing a scarf and flats to tone down a serious dress. When wearing brown and black together, keep your accessories in the gold family.

So is this something you would try? Or are you a strict one-neutral-per-outfit girl? Or guy? I don't discriminate!

What I Wore: Casual Red + Black Friday

When I thought up this outfit I wanted some way to wear my red skinnies that wasn't so "Zzzzzomg LOOK AT ME I HAVE RED PANTS!" Pairing them with a button down and sheer sweater made them traditional enough that I wore them to my daughter's kindergarten Thanksgiving feast.



Now that Thanksgiving is over and we're on full steam ahead for Christmas, I've turned my house upside down to basically look like Santa's workshop. So if it feels like it's a bit stingy on pictures today, it's because I spent all weekend shopping and decorating.


I did a lot of this (GLITTERRRRRR)


And some of this (Christmas definitely barfed on my house)


A little of this.


And a lot of this. The kids were interested for exactly 4.5 seconds.

Oh well! Now I'm onto festivities. I know I already asked on my Facebook page, but I want to know if you braved the crowds for Black Friday. I went out around 5am Friday but didn't want to do the whole "Open at Midnight" business. Also, I did mall shopping on Saturday and *might* have grabbed a few things for myself. I'm excited to show you guys! I also convinced my sister in law to both try on and BUY skinny jeans, so it was kind of a productive weekend.

Now onto a productive week before I head up to Canada for a little while. Today's task: Get my six inch roots taken care of. WIN!

Awesome Nail Tutorials and Ideas

So I'm basically the worst nail biter in the history of nail biters. It's completely stress-related and I usually don't care because my nails are just not a priority for me. Plus I have obscenely childlike hands. When we were getting married our photographer wanted to take a ring picture and my husband and I were both like "NO!" because he has giant basketball hands and mine stopped growing at age eight.

But a couple weeks ago I was more stressed than usual and I was taking it out of my nails like usual when I was like "OMG Jae you are being gross." So I decided to stop chewing my nails to give them a break for a week. Now, when I'm not biting my nails, the only thing that's stops me is prettiness. Because I am so vain that I won't bite if it ruins my nail polish. Enter my obsession with cool nail design on Pinterest. Have you seen some of the stuff people do? It is mind blowing!! I've been testing out a few designs and I'll share my faves with you. If there's an available tutorial, you can click the picture... otherwise I'll give you a quick how-to rundown? Then you'll have the awesomest nails when you head out to Thanksgiving tomorrow. Good? Great.



(Tutorial)

Marble Nails:

This is what I have on my nails. Me and my cute daughter spent an afternoon playing with colors and swirly patterns and I loved it. I did a navy blue with an iridescent pink and it came out looking like awesome acid wash. The nail polish creates this flexible film on top of the water that is picked up my your nails when you dip. Cool, right? Just have lots of nail polish remover on hand to get at the messy bits.


(Tutorial)

How freakin' pretty would this be for holiday parties? It's just a glitter polish layered over a regular one in monochromatic colors. You could also do this with loose glitter, but I'm way too spastic for something like that.



I love this idea! Graphic nails are pretty but can be a leetle overwhelming. By mixing two patterns, it calms down the graphic prints and would look crazy adorable for a garden party or bridal shower.


(Tutorial)

These are SO brilliant and an excellent way to use up all of those expensive scrapbooking papers that are currently sitting in a forgotten tupperware in your basement... not that I have any experience with that whatsoever. But seriously. Scrapbook paper teamed up with rubbing alcohol transfers awesome patterns to your nails. Who knew?




This is going to be my next style I try. My bathrooms are painted like this -- the same color, just shiny over matte. Something like this is high style while still being subtle and I LOVE dark nail polish. These tips make the look less Queen of Darkness too. Also, did you know that if you stretch an elastic band over your nail, you can paint over it to create a perfect French tip? The things you learn on Pinterest!! (We're friends, right?)



(Source)

I love the idea of doing eahc nail a different color or design, but it's going to look juvenile unless you stick within the same color family. These peach tones with a bit of sparkle? Adorable and still adult while being super fun.


(Tutorial)

If you're a massive word nerd like me, these newspaper nails probably make you inexplicably happy. And they're super easy to create with newspaper and rubbing (or real) alcohol. I want to try this desperately on my toes but we don't ever buy the paper unless it's Thanksgiving, so I'm gearing up to try it tomorrow with my Black Friday paper! WOO!




How awesome is this modified French tip? It's created by using a sponge eyeshadow applicator of all things. Just dip the tip into a nail polish color and start dabbing on your tips, lightening your hand as you move down the nail. These are super pretty and professional without being too stuffy.

Alright, so are you going to try any of these? Once I get over the awesomeness of my acid wash swirly nails, I definitely want to go with the matte/shiny French tip. What's your fave?



Just as long as it's not these....

What I Wore: Breaking Dawn

I went to see Breaking Dawn on Saturday night (sans husband, because I'm nice like that.) I have this love/hate relationship with the Twilight movies. I generally think it's a terribly written series and the movies are pure cheese, but I was really into them at the beginning and now I feel obligated to take part.

Now don't worry, I'm not one of those hardcore desperate housewives types that like, goes at midnight wearing fangs and a Team Whatever shirt. I waited a whole day to even make plans with my sisters-in-law to buck up and go.

I am SO GLAD I did. Don't get me wrong. I definitely thought it was a terrible movie. But it was the funnest terrible movie I've ever seen. Not like You Don't Mess With the Zohan. That was terrible and not fun.

I knew it would be a good night when the opening credits said BREAKING DAWN: PART ONE and the guy sitting next to us whispered loudly, "There's a Part Two!?" I lost it completely and spent the next two hours holding in my giggles. Hey, I did my best. The wedding was fun and I was totally on board until the wolves started talking.

THE WOLVES STARTED TALKING.

As a general rule, any time I see I movie, I'm totally on board until the animals start up. I loved Rise of the Planet of the Apes until the last 40 seconds when Cesar started talking and I couldn't take it seriously any more. I mean really. Animal voices always sound so cheesy. When the Jacob wolf started talking about his wolf lineage I laughed so hard that I seriously regretted the large Diet Dr. Pepper I had with my popcorn.

Anyway, we were sitting in front of a group of girls and one had never read the Twilight books before. The whole movie, I could hear her friend explaining things to her. When Jacob imprints on Renesmee (ew) she yelled out, "Wait, WHAT!? On the BABY??" and I could not stop laughing. I'm sure the tweens and the desperate housewives were so over me by the time the movie was over. Luckily I had my friends, the incredulous husband and the newbie to roll my eyes with. Both of my sisters-in-law thought it was pretty ridiculous too -- at least, that's what I gathered from the smothered giggles and one loud snort from me.

So, my overall review? It was a great movie. For best results, go drunk.

Here's what I originally planned to wear to the movie:


See? I told you I didn't dress up.
Tank: ModBod
Tunic: Love on a Hanger @ Nordstrom
Jacket: Charlotte Russe
Jeans: Abercrombie
Boots: Fryeeeeeees

I said "planned to" because five minutes after this picture was taken I managed to drop salsa down my shirt and had to change. But it was the thought that counted. I'm just being honest.



OMG Jae enough with the peacock WELL I LIKE IT OK!?

Please tell me: did anyone else see the movie? Am I just an insensitive jerk or was it like, the fastest route the cheeseville? Give it to me straight!

Freaky Friday: Etsy Fails

Oh, Etsy... you fill me with such concurrent joy and shame. Peacock feather anything? Hooray! Sad cheetah shorts? Boo.


YAY I have been looking everywhere for an ill-fitting dress made out of poorly dyed doilies. The best part is that it in no way functions as a garment, so you still need to wear a complete outfit underneath. So HANDY.


This is the "hungry cheetah" skirt. Honestly, they look more dejected and gassy than hungry.


I love how this dress is titled as being "Oscar" worthy. I'm sorry, do you mean the porn Oscars? This wins for Most Artful Use of Tin Foil to Cover Your Naughty Bits.


Am I the only one who feels hungry for bacon?


Oh, I love this layering "Vest" otherwise known as a piece of discarded fabric. The second best part? Homegirl here looks like she's been living in the woods for quite some time now.


Upcycled denim shorts? YES PLEASE. I've been looking for a way to make myself look like a cracked out disco queen.


Or we could just go with these pants. They just scream "I'm unemployed!" You can wipe that sassafras look off your face, miss thang.


Jellyfish tentacle leggings, anyone?


No?


Ok... me neither. We can stay friends.


Oh good, another jacket from the "Your Kindergarten Teacher in 1991" collection!


I never thought I'd ever have to say this on my blog.... but does this look a little too "Robin Hood" to you?


Of course, I also saw a shirt on Etsy that I reeeeeeeeeeeeally want. So I'm gonna go ahead and call it a wash this week. Happy Friday, guys!

Cleaning Out My Closet

Probably one of the funnest facts about me is that I love rap music. Like, really Jae? I want you to imagine me now, driving back from dropping off carpool in my large SUV in my sleepy 2,000 person town. Now imagine I’m blasting Eminem from the stereo and bobbing my head like I’m in a hip hop video. I might throw up a gang sign or two. Yeah, I would say I’m pretty much the most intimidating 5’4” suburban mom EVER. Why am I even telling you this? Because this post is clearly devoted to cleaning out your closet a la Eminem, to the tune of writing a violent rap song in which you pretend like you’re going to kill your mother.

I’m totally kidding. Not only is that silly, but it has nothing to do with fashion. If you want to kill your mother with a shovel you can do it on your own time, thanks.

While Eminem did write “Cleanin’ Out My Closet,” he probably didn’t mean getting rid of ugly clothes. At least I think he didn’t. I only took one class in song interpretation so I could be wrong.

One of the biggest challenges with trying to dress well with kids is that sometimes, you just don't feel like you have the time to put yourself together and get out the door. You're running off to carpool while listening to gangsta rap, hurrying out to work or trying to squeeze in a trip to the gym and the way you look just happens to take a backseat for the day. So you end up heading out in your trusty tee and jeans combo, with barely enough time to slip on your flip flops as you run out to the car.

Well, at least half of the problem is probably found deep within your closet. We all have the exact same issues, no matter how our closets are organized: the clothes you wear all the time are easy to find near the middle, the clothes that don't fit yet you hang onto like a crazy person are stuffed in the back and there's probably a few pieces that you forgot about too. Like me and my red skirt. Because of this, you probably grab whatever you see first to get dressed in a hurry. Which may or may not be frumpy and disappointing.

Can I let you in on a mind-blowing fashion secret?

If you don't have crappy clothes in your closet.... (wait for it) ..... you don't wear crappy clothes.

I KNOW, RIGHT!?

That's why I urge everyone to clean out their closets at least twice a year. I tend to do a big cleaning in both fall and spring. It's when I assess the season's clothes with the upcoming weather change and decide whether or not I want to hold onto them for another year. Seeing as I just got rid of a massive bag of clothes, plenty of stuff didn't make the cut. That sweater with the hole in the armpit? That jacket that didn't button? The hat that was a really bad idea? All gone. Because I got rid of so much stuff, I was able to rescue some lesser-worn pieces from the back of my closet to put them back into rotation again. Hello, friends! I'm sorry I have forsaken you.

Don't know where to start? Here's some tips! Hows about you get rid of/donate/trash/give to a cross-dresser:

-Anything that doesn't fit. Um, yeah. Doi. Yes, I know you want to lose ten pounds, but that doesn't mean the jeans you wore in high school are in style. Let it go.

-Anything that you don't feel confident or attractive in. Don't know if you like it? Put it on and snap a digiphoto. You'll find out real fast which clothes are keepers and which are kickers. Ask your husband too. You'll be surprised at how vocal he is about your favorite sweater. Every so often my husband dispenses helpful fashion advice, like "You should wear more pink." I own exactly one pink shirt. Time to go shopping.

-Any comfort items that you're keeping just because they're easy to throw on or it looked good once upon a time/10 lbs ago/when you were in 8th grade. Seriously, if the only reason you own a piece of clothing is “because it’s comfortable,” toss it. Comfort isn’t the only reason to get dressed in the morning, people. Get rid of your 9am safety net and MAKE yourself try something new.

-Anything barfed on, peed on, pooped on, stained with food or otherwise destroyed. It's gross. Only a true mother would understand why this is a common issue.

"But Jae!" you say. "If I tossed a bunch of my clothes I wouldn't have anything to wear." Correction: You won't have anything crappy, misshapen, stained or sloppy to wear. When you pare down your closet to well-fitting, well-made basics, you'll actually have more to work with. You'll be able to clearly see what you have and how it works with other pieces, instead of just blindly reaching into your closet every morning.

Here was my weekend's work:

Shoes are organized by color and texture, with both the front and the back showing so I can choose them according to the way they look AND heel height. Plus it just makes me happy to have prettiness in my closet.


Tops are arranged by sleeve length, then dresses, pants and jackets. Makes it super easy to find what I'm looking for and it only takes a few minutes extra when folding clothes to divide them up properly.

Also, the top of my closet is for workout clothes and the Nerf gun I confiscated from my son. WHO buys a two-year-old a Nerf gun? My husband, that's who.

Anyway, with an organized closet it probably takes me LESS time to grab something that looks put-together than it would for me to dig out some yoga pants and an oversized tee, so it pretty much forces me into looking like a normal human being. Drat.

Although I am looking for ideas for hanging handbags and scarves, if you have any... right now they're stored in a laundry room cupboard and fall on my head when I try to get at them.

Seriously though. Two hours on a Saturday. That's all it takes to separate the wheat from the chaff and start dressing just a little bit better. Plus you get to have that Sex in the City moment every time you open up a clean, organized closet. Half of the time I expect birds to fly out and soft music to start playing when I try to pick out some shoes. It's THAT satisfying.

And just so you know, I did NOT give away these shoes. They've become my closet mascot. One day, when Minnie Mouse clodhoppers come back in style I WILL BE READY.

What I Wore: What Happens When I Clean

I bought this red skirt with plans to wear it all autumn long, then I promptly stuffed it in the back of my closet and forgot it existed for like, two months. Isn't that the way? Anyway, I did my big pre-holdiay-closet-cleanout over the weekend and trashed, gave away and otherwise got rid of stuff, AND I found this skirt again. Happy day! If that isn't a testament to cleaning out your closet, I don't know what is. Also, on Wednesday we're going to go over closet organization and how to part with that shirt that doesn't fit but you keep it anyway in case you drop 100 pounds and want to dress like you're in high school. It'll be FUN.


Top: Charlotte Russe
Cardigan: BP @ Nordstrom
Skirt: F21
Belt: Walmart
Boots: BP @ Nordstrom (Something else I forgot I owned until I cleaned my closet - double win!)
Bracelet/Watch: Inspired Silver
Earrings: F21

Who says short people can't wear long stuff? I say pish posh on that. I love a long, floaty skirt . It makes me feel like I'm in an old timey Western EVERY TIME. Also, I've been watching "The Quick and the Dead" a lot recently, so it's fitting. Is that weird? It comes on TV and I can't not watch it.


Peacock earrings basically match everything and the lace on the collar of this shirt is my fave. Also, this just in: I need to have my hair done. I'm seeing how close to Christmas I can push it because that's how I roll.

Well, I'd post more but my son has been in stage five tantrum mode since I got home from the gym. Luckily that was only AN HOUR AGO but no biggie. Anyone want a potty-training two year old?

Hahahaha but seriously.